50 THE GREEK OMBUDSMAN jor problem here. If the vast area were to be re-utilized, this could provide the opportunity for sharp improvement of the living conditions, especially where recreation is concerned. Moreover, the complete lack of medical staff does not appear to be adequately covered, as the Health center facilities are not sufficient and the Hospital in Drama is not close enough. • Xanthi: Innovative initiatives are noted, such as the health care bureau, recording medical issues, programming vaccination and hospital visits and keeping a stash of medicines for emergencies, or the computerised information system for the refugees held. • Orestiada: Months long detention, in addition to poor conditions, as the old cells are stretched to the limits of their capacity, as well as to the lack of information and interpreters, result in a negative overall impression. • Thessaloniki: The facility has reached its full capacity; as a result superfluous detainees continue to be distributed to police station cells around Thessaloniki, amounting to a total of 131 persons on the day of the first inspection and 131 persons on the day of the second one. The central detention space of the Aliens Department of Thessaloniki (Nea Menemeni), is completely unsuitable for continuous detention, as basic infrastructure is in bad shape and no yard access or any creative activity is available. The Greek Ombudsman has repeatedly recommended relocation to more suitable premises. Conclusions and institutional interventions Administrative detention conditions at Pre-removal Centres demonstrate the State’s inability to adequately address the specified procedural and substantive guarantees, resulting in violation of the detainees’ fundamental rights. The Hellenic Police has failed to meet its commitment for stopping the use of common detention cells, despite the fact that detention conditions in them objectively constitute inhuman or degrading treatment by article 3 of the ECHR standards. In normal Pre-removal Centres themselves, living conditions vary depending on the space. Shortcomings are mostly detected in cleaning, heating, quality and quantity of meals and shortage of personal hygiene products. Yard access and recreational activities, are short in duration, if any, while basic medical, psychologist, social worker and interpreter services are laid out but not provided, as they depend on tenders entailing large time gaps. In the Special Report3 “Migration flows and refugee protection – administrative challenges and human rights”, published in April 2017, the Greek Ombudsman has noted (p. 83) that it “considers an imperative need the stable 3. www.synigoros.gr/resources/docs/greek_ombudsman_migrants_refugees_2017-el.pdf