16 ρρ THE GREEK OMBUDSMAN Chapter “The refugee and migrant issue” of the Authority’s annual report for 2016, p. 28-35 https://www.synigoros.gr/?i=kdet.el.ehtisies_ektheseis_documents.416089 The Greek Ombudsman, exercising its competence both as the NPM and as the external monitoring mechanism of return procedures, according to Article 23(6) Law 3907/2011, made on-site inspections of the Pre-Removal Centres of Tavros (Petrou Ralli St.), Corinth and Moria (Lesvos), as well as of the holding cells of the Police Headquarters of Chios, Lesvos, Kos, Samos and other police station cells within Attica. ρρ Numerical data of detainees to be returned As regards the detention facilities, the Hellenic Police informed the Ombudsman that on 3 November 2016 a total of 1,583 third-country nationals were being detained at Pre-Removal Centres, a number vastly greater than the corresponding 504 in 2015. The largest concentration of detainees was in the Pre-Removal Centre of Corinth (697 detainees). The corresponding number of third-country nationals for return is not known. The Hellenic Police continues its efforts to detain third-country nationals for only a few days at police stations until space is found at Pre-Removal Centres, although this is not always possible due to the over-crowding of the Aliens Division of Attica at the Pre-Removal Centre of Tavros (characteristically, on 7 June 2016 there were 114 men detained in Attica police stations). It is also noted that the police holding cells at the Aliens Division of Thessaloniki appear to be used as a standard location for the detention of third-country nationals for return (case 216963/2016)3. ρρ Findings from on-site inspections - visits The visits to and on-site inspections of detention facilities – particularly of those located on islands – were repeated a number of times during the year. Once again these revealed the unsuitability of most of the premises and overcrowding. In any case, the Ombudsman stresses its long-standing positions that: 1. Administrative detention of minors must be abolished. 2. Administrative detention of adults within police stations must be avoided, due to the fact that, as a rule, the conditions of the detention facilities are unsuitable. 3 See also the Ombudsman’s previous relevant observations in the Annual Report for 2015, pp 128-129.