Behind the walls: The reality of migrant detention centers in Europe

Behind the walls: The reality of migrant detention centers in Europe

The treatment of migrants and refugees in Europe remains one of the continent’s most egregious human rights records. Despite repeated assurances from the European Union of its commitment to international human rights law, international monitoring organizations consistently report serious violations within detention centers and at the EU’s external borders. This discrepancy between official rhetoric and actual practice raises fundamental questions about Europe’s credibility as a protector of rights and freedoms. Field analysis of detention centers on the Greek islands, in southern Italy, and in Croatia paints a grim picture. These centers are often overcrowded, with numbers far exceeding their capacity, and suffer from severe shortages of food, clean water, and basic medical care. The detainees in these centers are not mentally ill or fugitives; they are people seeking international protection after fleeing war and persecution. The prolonged detention of individuals who have committed …