In an assessment of conditions of detention in prisons, migrant holding centres and police custody, the Council of Europe’s Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CPT) reports progress, but also persistent concerns since its previous visits in 2015 and 2020.
With regard to the Safi and Hal Far migrant detention centres, this new report, based on a visit carried out in September and October 2023, notes that conditions have improved slightly since 2020.
The centres are less congested, facilities have been renovated, there are more staff and management has improved.
However, as the CPT points out, “the overall regime remains deeply punitive” and these centres “still operate in a carceral manner”, with a minimal daily regime, limited access to outdoor areas and poor living conditions (large dormitories, obsolete infrastructure, unsanitary conditions, etc.) that undermine people’s dignity.
The following are recommended: the introduction of language courses and training activities, the option to take part in sports activities, free daily access to outdoor areas and the reconfiguration of “warehouse-style” units into “smaller, more humane living arrangements”.
Reacting to allegations of violence by staff, particularly after an escape attempt in 2023, the CPT calls for “zero tolerance” of abuses.
Link to the report: https://aeur.eu/f/huh (Original version in French by Véronique Leblanc)