In Greece, psychologists and social workers are present only in the Centre of Athens for the
departure of return operations managed at national or joint level (Aliens Police Division of
Attica - Pre-removal Centre).
In general, the staff of the Italian National Guarantor
Slovenia, Cyprus and Switzerland
reports that in Immigration Removal Centres
confirm that professionals such as
(current CPRs) there are figures of support such as
psychologists, interpreters or social
cultural linguistic mediators and psychologists,
workers are only required in case of
provided by the body that manages the centre.
need, while in the Netherlands, if
During the monitoring of forced returns, the Italian
necessary, medical personnel also
monitor reports that only in some cases a cultural
trained in the psychological field are
linguistic mediator is present. The employment of
involved. Only in Belgium there is a
this figure on the part of the authorities is
social worker for every escorted
recommended by the monitor, especially during
returnee, who assists in the pretransfers carried out with charter flights. At no stage
of the return operation is the presence of
departure and boarding phase.
psychologists or social workers envisaged.
3.5 Complaint tools available to returnees
On this point the control bodies report different situations.
The Maltese and Slovenian monitors inform that returnees are made aware of the possibility of
filing complaints during the return operation.
In the Netherlands, complaints about the behaviour of escorts can be addressed directly to the
Royal Marechaussee. Subsequently, the complaint can be sent to the National Ombudsman, if
the competent authority does not respond or if the returnee does not agree with the response.
To this end, returnees are informed and given a leaflet where the complaint procedure is
explained. In Germany, the escort carrying out the return operations has an obligation to
distribute the complaint forms.
The Swedish agency reports that returnees who request it can lodge complaints.
In Spain, it is almost always the Frontex observer who brings the complaint forms; in fact,
returnees are not expressly informed by the members of the police force of the possibility of
lodging complaints. For this reason during the interviews carried out by the Spanish NPM with
returnees it is the monitor who informs about the complaint procedure, also according to
Frontex procedures.
According to the Swiss NCPT and the monitor of the
Finnish Ombudsman, returnees are not
The staff of the Italian National Guarantor
reports that in Detention Centres and, in
systematically informed of the possibility of
general, during return operations
lodging complaints. The Danish Ombudsman also
managed by the Italian authorities, forms
notes a lack of information provided by the police
to lodge complaints are not distributed
on complaint mechanisms, which is not given
nor are the returnees informed of the tools
unless the returnees request it.
to present these requests or reports.
According to the British monitoring agency the
Home Office and the Mitie contractor, who manage
the return operations, have forms for complaints, but the information given to returnees on
how to file complaints is inadequate.
The Belgian monitor does not provide information on the possibility of making complaints, nor
does it report specific details on the point. In Greece, the police do not inform returnees of the
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