Refugee Camps as Torturing Environments—An Analysis of the Conditions in the Moria Reception Center (Greece) Based on the Torturing Environment Scale

Abstract

Background. European countries apply a policy of deterrence of migrants in territorial and extraterritorial border areas. The authors apply the model of torturing environments, which has been already applied to other contexts where persons are deprived of liberty, to the situation of the reception center of Moria, on the island of Lesvos (Greece). Methods. A cross-sectional study was conducted in the months of April and June of 2020. Personal interviews were conducted with 160 people (80 men, 80 women) from Afghan, Syrian, Somalian, and Congo backgrounds. The authors applied the Torturing Environmental Scale, which measures interpersonal violence, emotional distress, and legal safeguards. Results. The findings confirm the inhumane living conditions for the people sheltered in Moria, documenting the severe suffering of the population due to elements linked to basic human functions (hunger, thirst, hygiene, overcrowding, temperature, etc.), actions that produce fear and distress, actions that produce helplessness and hopelessness, actions that cause physical pain, attacks on sexual integrity, and attacks on identity and the need to belong. Some of the data suggest that the purposive and intentionality elements of the definition of cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment were also met. Conclusions. According to the conceptual model of torturing environments, the Moria reception camp constitutes a space of systematic ill treatment that vulnerated the European legal standards related to torture (Article 3 of the Human Rights Convention). The idea of torturing environments provides a valuable avenue to assess human rights violations in collective spaces and could constitute a useful tool in forensic and litigation processes.

“Of course, you get depression in this situation”: Explanatory Models (EMs) among Afghan refugees in camps in Northern Greece

“…Participants sought help through different sources. In line with previous research [ 68 ] the interviews with females showed scepticism toward mental health professionals unfamiliar with their background. This might illuminate recent research showing that healthcare service utilization rates among refugees in camps are particularly low for common mental disorders [ 11 ].…”

Prevalence of physical violence against people in insecure migration status: A systematic review and meta-analysis

“…We collected data on violence occurring in 44 different countries, grouped by region: Europe [ 22 , 62 , 65 , 68 , 81 , 91 ]; North America [ 64 , 67 , 69 , 72 , 74 , 75 , 78 , 80 , 82 , 85 ]; Asia [ 31 , 76 , 87 ]; and Africa [ 70 , 71 , 77 , 84 , 86 , 88 ]. Twenty-five of the included reports measured violence in a single country [ 64 , 65 , 67 , 69 , 70 – 72 , 74 , 75 , 77 , 78 , 81 , 82 , 84 – 89 , 91 , 93 , 94 ]. The remaining reports either specified a combination of locations in which the violence occurred or specified that the violence happened while in transit during the migration journey.…”

“…Studies measured insecure immigration status in a number of different ways. These included ‘undocumented’ [ 22 , 64 – 67 , 69 , 72 , 74 , 75 , 77 , 80 – 82 , 85 , 89 ], ‘refugee /asylum seeker’ [ 62 , 63 , 68 , 70 , 71 , 73 , 83 , 84 , 86 – 88 , 90 , 91 ], ‘spousal /family visa’, ‘employment related’ [ 31 , 76 , 79 ]. Two studies measured more than one status but sufficiently disaggregated the data to allow for insecure status to be verified [ 78 ].…”

Associations between grip strength, cardiorespiratory fitness, cardiovascular risk and mental health in forcibly displaced people from a Greek refugee camp

“…Accordingly, the underlying mechanism would not be an increased willingness to take risks, but rather a higher level of confidence in one's own (physical) abilities. A further alternative explanation could be that being stuck in a refugee camp is a frustrating (and sometimes traumatising) experience 82 , 83 . Since in Greece camp residents are not given the opportunity to pursue a gainful employment, the level of frustration might be particularly pronounced among residents who feel strong and fit.…”