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Pushback Ancona Port - Thu. 23.04.20

Date & Time 2020-04-23
Location Ancona Port
Reported by No Name Kitchen
Coordinates 43.62069438, 13.5088987
Pushback from Italy
Pushback to Greece
Taken to a police station yes
Minors involved no
WLTI* involved no
Men involved yes
Age 18 - 21
Group size 2
Countries of origin Afghanistan
Treatment at police station or other place of detention detention, fingerprints taken, photos taken, personal information taken, papers signed, no translator present, denial of access to toilets, denial of food/water
Overall number of policemen and policewomen involved 8
Violence used pushing people to the ground, insulting, sexual assault, forcing to undress
Police involved 6, 2 female, 4 male

The respondent reported that on Thursday the 23rd of April, at 8:00 pm the truck he and his friend had been hiding inside of since the previous day (22nd of April – 7:00 pm) had arrived in Ancona port via a ferry from Patras. At this point, the truck was subject to a police search after leaving the ship in Ancona Port. 

During the search of the truck the two men were discovered by two Italian policemen who then shouted at them and told them to get out of their hiding places. After the men left the truck their arms were twisted and they were punched on the ground forcefully. Their arms were then handcuffed. A group of six other policemen were standing at the scene and observing the arrest.

While being shouted at, three policemen took the men to a police car that was parked nearby and drove them to a nearby police station where they arrived after a short drive.

At the police station, two officers continued shouting at them and pushed them into the police station. Both men were then searched in a separated room and forced to undress themselves. After this, they were put into a single prison cell where two other men were also detained.

After some time, two policemen took both men out of the cell and forced them roughly to give their fingerprints and make photos of their faces. During the taking of the fingerprints, the policemen shouted at the men that they were going to deport them back to Greece.

After the taking of the fingerprints, the policemen showed the men a piece of paper that the men had to sign. Both indicated that they could not read the paper and needed to have a translator by their side. The policemen refused and shouted at them, ultimately pressuring them to give their signature arbitrarily. One of the men then signed the paper. The other refused so that one of the policemen signed on the mark where the man was supposed to leave his signature.

The two men stayed in the prison cell until the late afternoon of the next day (April 24th) without the opportunity to use the toilet although they told the policemen that they need to see the bathroom. They were then taken by two policemen to a ship where they were put into a small cabin whose door was then locked. In this cabin, the men stayed for a whole day before the door was then opened by a security staff of the ship.

After the door was unlocked the security staff escorted the men off the ship outside of which two Greek policemen were waiting for them. The policemen took both guys to a station nearby where their documents were photographed and they were detained for another hour.

Later the two men were escorted out of the port of Patras.