Four men at the Menoyia migrant reception centre began a hunger strike on Tuesday, with two more joining on Thursday, to protest what they call inadequate legal procedures and unjustified detention.

The detainees have been held for periods ranging from two months to two years while awaiting decisions on their migration status.

“We ask the migration deputy ministry to examine our cases,” the group said in a written statement. “Some of us have been waiting for years.”

They displayed banners reading, “It’s not weakness, it is survival,” “My tears say everything I cannot,” and “My hands are asking, not threatening.”

Several of the men said they would rather receive a formal rejection and face deportation than continue waiting indefinitely.

One of the two who joined the strike on Thursday suffers from a serious health condition. “I had surgery on my lungs in 2022 and have been experiencing daily shooting pain since,” he said, adding that the centre offers no access to appropriate healthcare.

According to the strikers, around 140 migrants remain “unjustifiably detained” at Menoyia while decisions on their status are pending.