2 – CUSTODY AWAITING DEPORTATION In 2018, the National Agency visited the Hesse facility for custody awaiting deportation in Darmstadt; the detention centre for persons required to leave the country in Büren, North Rhine-Westphalia (UfA Büren); and the Frankfurt Airport branch of the Hesse reception centre for refugees (HEAE Frankfurt Airport) in Gießen. The latter two visits were follow-up visits. 2.2 – FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS The visited facilities were given recommendations on the following main topics: 2.2.1 – Deportation from prison Some of the detainees awaiting deportation at UfA Büren had come directly from prison, as it had not been possible to organise their deportation on time. This prolonged the detainees’ deprivation of liberty and thus subjected them to an unnecessary burden. 2.1 – POSITIVE EXAMPLES The National Agency highlighted several positive examples during its visits. During its first visit to HEAE Frankfurt Airport, the National Agency recommended that medical staff carrying out initial medical examinations should be specifically trained to recognise trauma and mental illness. During the follow-up visit, the visiting delegation found that a doctor has now been permanently employed at the facility. According to the head of the facility, this doctor has extensive experience in dealing with refugees and trauma. Where persons who are required to leave the country are currently serving a prison sentence, every effort should be made to ensure they are deported before the end of their sentence. At the very least, it should be ensured that the conditions for deportation are in place before they have fully served their prison sentence. 2.2.2 – Furnishings and design Neither the cells in the Darmstadt facility for custody awaiting deportation nor those in the special security unit of UfA Büren had curtains on the windows or any other possibilities for darkening the room. Staff at the facility for custody awaiting deportation in Darmstadt come from many different cultural backgrounds and speak a wide range of languages, which should make communication with the detainees considerably easier. It must be possible to prevent people from seeing into the cells from the outside. Detainees awaiting deportation must also be able to personally adjust the level of light. Detainees awaiting deportation in Darmstadt and at UfA Büren were permitted to use their private mobile phones in order to maintain contact with their relatives, provided that the phone’s camera had been taped over. 2.2.3 – Strip-searches Upon admission to the Büren detention centre for persons required to leave the country (UfA Büren), all detainees awaiting deportation were subject to a body search during which they were required to fully undress. At the facility in Büren, a foam chair was used in the specially secured cell. This meant that individuals being held there did not have to sit on the floor. The spacious outdoor area was also viewed positively. Furthermore, detainees awaiting deportation had access to the internet. According to the Federal Constitutional Court, strip-searches involving a visual inspection of the prisoner's genital area represent a severe interference with the 55