ΑΛΛΗΛΕΓΓΥΗ ΣΤΗΝ ΕΕ: ΕΞΕΛΙΞΕΙΣ ΣΤΟ ΠΕΔΙΟ ΤΗΣ ΠΡΟΣΦΥΓΙΚΗΣ ΠΡΟΣΤΑΣΙΑΣ ΚΑΙ ΠΡΟΚΛΗΣΕΙΣ ΣΤΗΝ ΕΕ ΚΑΙ ΣΤΗΝ ΕΛΛΑΔΑ

Ntina Tzavara 221 according to the country’s legislation. The same pattern applies to several claims in an individual’s narrative, which cannot be cross-checked by available informa- tion about the situation of a state, or are merely personal experiences 7 . A few researches exist to shred a light in the subsequences of administrative detention to the psychology and therefore to the performance of an asylum seeker during his personal interview, while being in detention. In a general overview, detention conditions are not ideal and vary from country to country, depending on a number of factors. Yet, it is a common finding 8 that they affect the physical condition of asylum seekers in a negative way. Many medi- cal reports conclude that overcrowding, low hygiene conditions and poor diet, as well as limited access to specialized medical treatment when needed, contribute to the deterioration of an existing condition or even damage the physical well- being of a previously healthy person. The most frequently health issues related to detention conditions are respiratory complications, skin diseases, gastrointestinal and musculoskeletal problems 9 . Key findings of independent humanitarian organizations stress the fact that the majority of patients have had traumatic experiences prior to detention and that detention can trigger or deteriorate mental health issues, such as depression or anxiety disorders 10 . In a plethora of cases, people who were healthy prior to de- tention, developed afterwards symptoms related to anxiety, aggression or trau- ma 11 . Furthermore, the impact of detention cannot necessarily be measured by the time it lasts. Even a relatively short period of freedom limitation may provoke feelings of arbitrariness, inferiority and anxiety, always in relation to the condi- 7. van Veldhuizen T. S. / Horselenberg R. / Landström S. / Granhag, P. A. / van Koppen, P. J., Interviewing asylum seekers: A vignette study on the questions asked to assess credibility of claims about origin and persecution, J Investig Psych Offender Profil. 2017. 8. See also Coffey G. J1. / I. / Sampson R. - C. /Tucci M. -M., The meaning and mental health consequences of long-term immigration detention for people seeking asylum , Soc. Sci. Med. 2010, available at https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20378223 and ‘Confronting the mental health emergency on Samos and Lesvos: why the containment of asylum seekers on the Greek islands must end’, Medecines sans Frontiers, October 2017, available at http://www.msf.org/sites/msf.org/files/2017_10_mental_health_greece_ report_final_low.pdf . 9. Kotsioni I. / Ponthieu A. / Egidi S. , ibid. 10. For example, 85% of patients of MsF in Malta detention centers had a record of at least a traumatic event before being held. For more findings, see Ioanna Kotsioni, Aurélie Ponthieu and Stella Egidi ‘Health at risk in immigration detention facilities’, September 2013 at Forced Migration Review vol. 44, available at http://www.fmreview.org/ detention/edwards.html . 11. Guidelines on the Applicable Criteria and Standards relating to the Detention of Asylum- Seekers and Alternatives to Detention 2012, Guideline 9.1.