ترجمة عربية​

ترجمه فارسی​

Ελληνική μετάφραση

Right now, the Greek government—backed by EU funding—is pushing ahead with the construction of a massive new detention-like facility for refugees and asylum seekers in Vastria, Lesvos. The Closed Controlled Access Centre (CCAC) system, which is already operational on Lesvos, Samos, and other Aegean hotspot islands, is part of a system of containment and exclusion designed to isolate people in remote, prison-like camps rather than provide safe, humane reception conditions. 

We are calling on the European Commission to uphold its commitment to human rights and accountability. It must:

‼️ Take responsibility for its integral role in enforcing basic protection standards for people on the move in Greece.

‼️ Acknowledge that the current CCAC system is inhumane and wholly unfit for purpose.

‼️ Commit to a concrete roadmap for implementing a humane alternative solution for accommodating and supporting people who have made an asylum claim in Greece.

Read on for more information about the brutal CCAC system and why we’ve created this petition.

The brutality of the CCAC system

The Samos CCAC, funded by the EU and opened in 2021, is the so-called ‘pilot’ project for the other CCACs, aimed at ‘fast-tracking’ asylum claims and increasing procedural efficiency in Greece. However, there is growing evidence of the devastating consequences of the CCAC structure and the EU-supported policies.

Residents of the CCAC spend on average 2-6 months living in deplorable conditions, with recurring instances of extreme overcrowding. Some of the most severe human rights concerns occurring are:

❌ Extreme securitization and isolation.
❌ Lack of medical staff and hygiene concerns.
❌ The Greek government’s neglect of its legal obligations to residents including cash assistance and NFI (non-food items) distribution.
❌ Lack of interpreters.
❌ Poor infrastructure and bureaucratic inefficiency.

Despite evidence provided by CCAC residents and local NGOs, with the EU's approval and funding, Greek authorities continue to expand the CCAC model, when they should be dismantling it.

Samos Volunteers: Our Demands Since 2021

Since the CCAC was first piloted on Samos in 2021, Samos Volunteers has been advocating against what it represents for the future of migration and asylum policies in the EU. Its repressive structure and management lead to the degradation of mental and physical well-being, limiting the integration and dignity of people seeking protection. 

In January 2024 and February 2025, Samos Volunteers and local NGO actors on Samos wrote to the EU Commission to request a necessary improvement in the living and reception conditions of the Samos CCAC. With residents experiencing dire overcrowding, extreme proliferation of skin diseases and health complications, undignified accommodation, lack of material support, insufficient access to water, poor-quality food, and high psychological stress and degradation due to 24/hour surveillance and brutal security measures for a subsequent year, Samos NGOs called for the EU to: 

✅Safeguard fundamental rights and the prevention of racial discrimination. 
✅Address immediate deficiencies in the Samos CCAC, improve health services, and implement contingency plans.
✅End detention of vulnerable groups and safeguard UAM safe areas. 
✅Ensure accountability of Greek policies and misuse of EU funding, and regular impact assessments to identify lessons learned. 

Collective Aid: Our call for Vastria to remain unopened

In October 2024, Collective Aid and 11 other organisations based on Lesvos wrote to the Greek and EU authorities, warning them that if the Vastria camp was opened, conditions could lead to human rights breaches, with issues concerning privacy, safety, and access to essential services. The camp's location in a high-risk fire zone will risk people’s lives, as will emergency evacuation difficulties caused by its isolated location. This remote setting will also limit access to essential services like healthcare and education.

As evidenced in existing structures like Samos, the excessive use of control systems and surveillance technology in CCACs contributes to a prison-like atmosphere. When combined with the movement restrictions imposed by the new camp's remote location, this could amount to de facto detention without legal grounds. 

For these reasons, the letter demanded:

✅ An immediate halt to the construction of the Vastria CCAC and cancellation of plans to expand this failed model.
✅ An end to EU funding for detention-like centres that violate basic rights.
✅ Investment in dignified, community-based reception solutions.
✅ Accountability from Greek and EU authorities for human rights violations in existing CCACs.

At the current Mavrovouni CCAC in Lesvos, living conditions have worsened since the open letter was signed. These include:

❌ Insufficient food distribution.
❌ Inadequate medical support.
❌ A lack of access to translations in community languages.
❌ A lack of appropriate seasonal adjustments, including no access to blankets and hot water in freezing weather conditions.

Despite the unresolved inadequacies in the current CCAC, plans for opening the new Vastria CCAC continue apace.

The EU’s Failure to Act

The European Commission responded to this letter in November 2024, acknowledging the “concerns” about the potential fundamental rights violations raised in the letter. It stated that, whilst the project is EU-funded and would be monitored accordingly once opened, it remains Greece’s responsibility. It also confirmed that it was “aware” of human rights concerns raised about other CCAC structures.

Greece’s former Asylum Minister has described the new Vastria facility as "an obligation to the European Union that is funding it." So why does the Commission refuse to take proper responsibility for the system it bankrolls and enables?

👉 Read our full statement to the European Commission here.

✊Add Your Voice—Sign the Petition Now!✊

The Greek government has ignored our demands, and the EU is unwilling to act, so we are asking you for your support. 

We must act to prevent Vastria and Samos from becoming the benchmark for how Europe treats refugees. Sign and share this petition to demand an end to detention and real solutions that respect dignity, freedom, and human rights. Will you stand by, or stand up?

Add your name. Sign today.