Greek authorities subject refugees to invasive surveillance | Computer Weekly

Widespread phone confiscations

According to the report, 88% of asylum seekers interviewed said their mobile phones were confiscated upon arrival in Samos. Devices were taken without explanation, with many individuals coerced into unlocking them or providing passcodes. Upon return, some phones showed evidence of tampering, such as accessed applications, deleted photos, or altered battery levels.

The legal basis for these actions remains unclear. While Greek authorities deny the practice, Frontex, the EU border agency, confirmed in correspondence with IHR that phone removal is included in confidential operational plans. Legal experts argue that such practices likely violate EU data protection laws, including the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).

“You could not say no [to the police],” one asylum seeker told researchers. “When they arrived, they were screaming and giving orders, as if we were arrested.”

Another said: “I felt like a prisoner, I was thinking this is the punishment for having come illegally.”

Computer Weekly has independently gathered testimonies from asylum seekers who report that their mobile phones were confiscated upon arrival on Samos, as well as other Greek islands and the mainland.

It remains unclear whether data is extracted from mobile devices and how officials use it. Still, the possibility has raised concerns about its potential impact on asylum procedures.

Frontex spokesperson Chris Borowski told Computer Weekly via email that the agency “operates strictly within the boundaries of EU law … and fundamental rights are at the core of all our activities”.

He added: “Frontex does not have the authority to confiscate personal devices or access private data. These are matters handled by national authorities, and we expect any such actions to comply fully with national and EU laws.”

The Greek police did not respond to Computer Weekly’s request for comment by the publication deadline.

AI-driven surveillance in refugee camps

The report also highlights the deployment of Centaur and Hyperion, two EU-funded surveillance systems that rely on artificial intelligence and biometric data. Centaur uses CCTV cameras, drones and AI-based motion analytics to automatically flag threats in the camp and its vicinity, with data monitored remotely by the Greek Ministry of Migration and Asylum in Athens and officials on several islands. Hyperion, meanwhile, relies on biometric data to control access to the facility.

The pervasive surveillance has turned the Samos CCAC into what many describe as a high-tech prison-like structure. The NGO report highlights evidence that cameras appear to have been placed in areas where privacy would be expected, such as inside corridors and containers where people sleep.

“At any moment, you are being watched,” one respondent told researchers.

The vast majority (92%) of Samos CCAC residents interviewed reported not being informed by authorities about CCTV monitoring, with 85% stating they had not seen any signs indicating camera usage.

Likewise, all camp workers interviewed confirmed they had received no information from authorities about the cameras and could not recall seeing any signage indicating the facility was under surveillance. Almost all respondents reported they did not recall consenting to their data being processed.

The IHR report combined multiple methods, including analysing publicly available documents and freedom of information requests. It is based on interviews with 59 camp residents, seven workers, and nine experts between December 2023 and December 2024.

Additionally, researchers collaborated with residents affected by the technology to file data subject access requests (DSARs), a legal tool that lets individuals access personal data held by companies, organisations, or government agencies. This effort represents the first publicly known success in investigating these systems through DSARs.

The resulting report offers the most detailed and comprehensive account to date of the phone extraction practices at the Samos CCAC and the impact of other tech-driven practices on asylum seekers.

Involvement of Israeli firms

The Centaur and Hyperion systems have been developed with the participation of both Greek and Israeli technology companies. According to the report, two Israeli firms, Viisights and Octopus, play key roles in the surveillance infrastructure.

Viisights specialises in behavioural recognition video analytics and has provided AI software advertised as capable of detecting threats. The report noted that video footage from the Samos CCAC obtained via DSARs was watermarked with Viisights’ branding, confirming its involvement.

Computer Weekly has learned that Viisights is undergoing insolvency proceedings, casting uncertainty over its future involvement in Greek camp operations.

Octopus, another Israeli firm, supplies security solutions that integrate data from multiple surveillance technologies, such as cameras and drones, into a centralised control system, as seen at the Athens control room. The Octopus platform is also used by Israel’s Ministry of Defence and the private company Coca-Cola, according to the company’s website.

Some consider the involvement of Israeli firms in refugee camps controversial, with critics accusing them of using marginalised populations to trial surveillance technologies that could later be applied in militarised settings.

Neither Viisights nor Octopus responded to Computer Weekly’s request for comment by the publication deadline.

At least three Greek companies are also involved in the Centaur and Hyperion projects. They include ESA Security Solutions, Space Hellas and ADAPTIT.

Data protection violations

The Greek DPA’s investigation into the surveillance systems, which concluded last year, uncovered significant shortcomings in the implementation of the Centaur and Hyperion systems, including incomplete and inadequate data protection impact assessments (DPIAs).

A Computer Weekly investigation last year revealed that Greek authorities appeared to retroactively attempt GDPR compliance only after implementing the systems, a violation of data protection laws. This investigation also highlighted several issues later cited in the DPA’s decision.

Alongside the record fine, the Greek Ministry of Migration was instructed to align the security programmes with GDPR requirements. However, it remains unclear whether any corrective actions have been taken.

Computer Weekly contacted the Greek Ministry of Migration and Asylum for comment but did not receive a response.

A blueprint for Europe?

The Samos CCAC is part of a broader EU initiative to modernise migration management. However, critics warn that the facility’s high-tech infrastructure may serve as a model for replicating invasive surveillance across Europe under the new EU Pact on Migration and Asylum.

The EU and Greek authorities promised that the CCAC would be a model, humane facility. Yet reports both from people on the move and workers attest to the inhumanity of the structure and its panoptic surveillance architecture

Ella Dodd, advocacy and strategy coordinator at IHR on Samos, said: “People seeking safety on our island are not criminals. The EU and Greek authorities promised that the CCAC would be a model, humane facility. Yet reports both from people on the move and workers attest to the inhumanity of the structure and its panoptic surveillance architecture.”

Report correspondents identified phone removal as the most invasive and distressing use of technology in the camp. Still, most of the asylum seekers interviewed placed more importance on immediate concerns – such as overcrowding, poor living conditions, inadequate medical care and the stress of navigating asylum applications – over the camp’s surveillance systems and phone seizure practices.

Some even expressed indifference or resignation toward these technologies and their use, viewing them as less pressing than other hardships.

The NGO report urges immediate action, including halting phone removals, replacing biometric systems with less invasive alternatives and ensuring transparency in the deployment of surveillance technologies.

The Greek migration ministry did not respond to a request for comment regarding the report’s findings.