A U.N. human rights expert has criticized Greece for failing to identify and support sex trafficking victims at a migrant centre on the island of Samos, alleging systemic shortcomings.
In a letter to Greek authorities, U.N. Special Rapporteur Siobhán Mullally highlighted 14 cases of trafficked women from West and Central Africa who displayed clear signs of abuse, including injuries, sexual diseases, and pregnancies, yet received no adequate housing, medical care, or psychological support.
The women arrived as asylum seekers in 2022, and Mullally argued that the conditions at the Samos Closed Control Access Centre (CCAC) were unsuitable for survivors of trafficking and sexual violence.
One woman, who gave birth after enduring prolonged sexual violence, was reportedly left in bloodstained clothes for weeks without assistance. Mullally also suggested that up to 285 other asylum seekers who arrived in 2022 might be trafficking victims.
The Greek government has not yet responded to the allegations. Greece has faced a surge in migrant arrivals this year, with 56,000 people crossing irregularly, the second-highest in Europe after Italy.
The Samos camp, built in 2021 to replace the squalid Vathy camp, remains under scrutiny for its heavily surveilled and restrictive environment.
