following on from a detention measure or house arrest, and end with a person being handed over to the authorities of the State of destination. In 2017, the CGLPL set about inspecting all of these situations across the board. It visited: - six detention centres for illegal immigrants; - four border police units or detention facilities for illegal immigrants; - four waiting areas10. It exercised scrutiny over four forced removals by air11 and one by sea12. 3.1 The findings made during the CGLPL's inspections The findings made by the CGLPL lay bare the problems generated by a toughening of migration policy. 3.1.1 Detention centres for illegal immigrants The situation in detention centres for illegal immigrants varies from one place to the next: it is largely dependent on the physical state of facilities - and the number of detention centres in a woeful state of disrepair are unfortunately in the majority. Only one of the six centres visited since the start of the year does not warrant this description. The weak points of the provision in place are often the same: - filthy conditions; - cramped living spaces, even when these are located within sprawling police complexes; - prison-type security conditions; - no respect for privacy (respect of spaces reserved for women by the police, separate toilet areas); - no outdoor access, or such access is subject to the availability of the police crews; - haphazard medical care for somatic conditions and non-existent psychiatric support; - overly restrictive practices regarding communications; - hardly any occupational activities. These inspections, which were second or third inspections in all cases, do not show any significant improvement in the situation - even if, for local reasons (not least where there has been a change in management) a situation can improve or deteriorate very swiftly. The Contrôleur général also has reservations over compliance with the right to information and assistance for detained migrants in exercising their rights. Although the CGLPL's findings are variable, some recurring weaknesses can be identified for all that: - police officers are not always sufficiently familiar with the rights it is their job to ensure are complied with; 10 The full list of facilities inspected in 2017 is given in Appendix 2 hereto. From Roissy (in Paris) towards Tunis, from Lille towards Tirana, from Roissy towards Helsinki and from Basel-Mulhouse towards Erevan. 12 From Marseilles towards Algiers. 11 25