Police stations full to bursting
A series of police sweeps in central Athens has put a huge strain on police detention centers, necessitating the transfer of detainees, chiefly immigrants, to police facilities in the countryside, Kathimerini has learned. A recent police crackdown in the historic center, aimed at rounding up illegal immigrants and drug dealers, has resulted in central police stations holding 373 detainees, well over their maximum capacity of 292. It is unclear how many of these detainees are illegal immigrants, though undocumented migrants account for 1,551 of 4,310 people arrested in Attica in June. In a bid to decongest the Athens facilities, police have moved some detainees to stations in Corinth, Viotia and on Evia. But a police source said this was a stopgap solution. «Things are under control now, but what will happen in a month if arrests continue at the same rate?» he said.
