Visits in 2015
and prior to deportation. According to the police, the
period of occupancy was usually short (one to two
hours), but could occasionally be as long as 12 hours.
The NPM also visited Customs and Excise’s premises
at the airport, which were next door to the police waiting
cells. Customs and Excise has three custody cells of four
to six square metres. Persons are not usually detained
here for more than one to two hours. In the course of
the three months prior to the visit, three people had been
detained for more than four hours at the premises. The
NPM pointed out that the information sheet that was
presented contained passages that left the impression
that Customs and Excise had wider powers to conduct
inspections for control purposes than warranted by
applicable regulations.
Finally, the NPM visited Gardermoen Police Station,
located approximately 500 metres from the terminal
building at Oslo Airport. The Police Station reports to
Romerike Police District and has six custody cells.
Romerike Police District’s management has stated
on several occasions that this custody facility is not in
use. During an inspection, the NPM nevertheless found
that the custody facility had a detainee. The local management had not been informed about this detention.
Documentation obtained after the visit showed that
there had been 19 cases of detention in 2015 up to the
time of the visit, including several cases of detention
overnight. Furthermore, the NPM found an information
sheet posted on the wall of the custody facility that was
inconsistent with the local custody instructions.
47
After the visit
Following the visit, Romerike Police District has made
changes to local custody instructions and made it
clear that the local police district management shall be
informed on the few occasions that the custody facility
is taken into use. They will also investigate the possibility
of installing clocks in the cells and of painting the cells
so that there is a clear colour contrast between the walls
and the floor.
The NPIS has made changes to internal guidelines so
that it is now absolutely clear that body searches at the
deportation centre are not meant to involve the removal
of all clothing.
The Oslo and Akershus customs region has changed the
wording in the information sheet so that it is clear that
use of the special toilet is voluntary.
The cells measured around six square metres. There
was no clear colour contrast between the floor and
wall, which were painted in a dark grey colour. None of
the cells had access to a clock. There was also a lack of
daylight. Metal bars with rings for fastening handcuffs
has been installed behind a bench along the wall of the
registration room.
Gardermoen police custody facility
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