Report

The information contained within the platform is the result of extensive collaborative research led by Forensic Architecture and its berlin-based sister organization, Forensis, with the participation of Border Violence Monitoring Network, Bellingcat Global Authentication Project, Amnesty’s Crisis Evidence Lab and the Digital Verification Corps (DVC), and monitors and NGOs such as Alarm Phone, Aegean Boat Report, Refugee Support Aegean, Legal Centre Lesvos, and HIAS Greece.

The new issue of the Greek Asylum Case Law Report released today provides excerpts from 79 decisions issued in the first half of 2022 by Administrative Courts, the Independent Appeals Committees and the Asylum Service.

European Council on Refugees and Exiles: Country Report: Access to the territory and push backs

Legal ways of accessing the Greek territory are not provided for persons in need of international protection, nor does Greece issue visas for humanitarian reasons.

Since the start of the year, the Greek Government has further obstructed access to asylum for most migrants seeking protection in Greece, through the implementation of unfair policies and dysfunctional asylum procedures. In stark contrast to the opening of borders to Ukrainian nationals, evidence continues to emerge showing that Greek authorities systematically perpetrate violent and illegal pushbacks in the Aegean, with the complicity of EU institutions and agencies.

UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, together with sister UN agencies, NGO partners, municipalities and authorities discussed with refugees and asylum-seekers across Greece to identify their main concerns and key recommendations around protection and integration. A regular part of UNHCR’s programming, the Participatory Assessment (PA) provides an opportunity for UNHCR and others to assess the existing humanitarian programmes and adjust future initiatives in line with refugees’ feedback.

From a legal standpoint, this report examines and contributes to the discussion surrounding the prevalence and consequences of procedural violations during asylum interviews and in the assessment of SOGIESC claims in Europe,7 with a focus on process rather than outcome. Insights from our MHPSS team provide a complementary frame of reference, drawing attention to the detrimental impacts that flawed and unlawful procedures have on the wellbeing and mental health of people seeking international protection.

The first issue of the Greek Asylum Case Law Report published today is a joint initiative of the Greek Council for Refugees (GCR), HIAS Greece and Refugee Support Aegean (RSA), organisations providing legal support and representation to refugees and asylum seekers in Greece. The note compiles extracts of decisions of Administrative Courts, the Independent Appeals Committees and the Asylum Service in the area international protection selected from the casework of the above organisations.