Controlled and Confined: Unveiling the Impact of Technology in the Samos Closed Controlled Access Centre
This report examines the deployment and impact of surveillance technology in the EU-funded Samos Closed Control and Access Centre (CCAC). This report aims to bring to light the human impact of the use of technology in Samos, including the removal of people on the move’s phones, CCTV, drones, motion recognition analytics and biometric data processing. Through interviews with people on the move and people who work in the CCAC, this report highlights the implications of the use of technology on privacy, autonomy, and fundamental freedoms.
The report begins with an overview of the Samos CCAC and the authorities’ use of technology within the facility. The methodology is then outlined and followed by Section 1 which examines the practice of removing mobile phones from people on the move and its impact on their lives. Section 2 focuses on the deployment of the EU-funded high-tech surveillance and security systems, Centaur and Hyperion, highlighting the lack of information provided by the authorities to people on the move and workers on these technologies. Section 3 explores the overall impact of technology on people on the move and workers within the CCAC. The report concludes by identifying key areas of concern and makes recommendations for action.