Country briefing: Statelessness and refugees in Greece WHO ARE THE RELEVANT REFUGEE RESPONSE ACTORS IN THE GREEK CONTEXT? Stage Key actors and roles Reception and Identification • Asylum Procedure Support during asylum process • • • • • • • Determination of international protection status Detention and return • • • • • • • • 4 Reception and Identification Service has overall competency for all procedures conducted within the scope of Reception and Identification Procedures. Some parts of these procedures are implemented by: o Hellenic Police: identification, fingerprinting and registration of new arrivals with the operational assistance of FRONTEX; referral of those who wish to seek asylum to the Asylum Service; detention of those who fall within the scope of the so-called ‘pilot project’ (Kos and Lesvos); referral to readmission procedures of new arrivals who do not express an intention to seek asylum; patrol of premises of the Reception and Identification Centre (RIC) o KEELPNO: conducts medical and psychosocial screening and assessment for new arrivals within the scope of First Reception Services and recognises people as ‘vulnerable’ who are identified as falling within a vulnerability category specified in law (A. 14 par 8 L.4375/2016) EU Fundamental Rights Agency: presence in the Hotspots as observers Greek Asylum Service (GAS) registers asylum seekers and examines their claims in Regional Asylum Offices(RAO) and Autonomous Asylum Units (AAU) with the support of the European Asylum Support Office (EASO); imposes geographic limitations on new arrivals who have entered through the Eastern Aegean Islands and lifts these where people are identified as vulnerable or subject to Dublin procedures; issues residence permits to those who have been granted international protection (travel documents are issued by the competent passport office of the Hellenic Police). UNHCR International NGOs (e.g. Danish Refugee Council, CARITAS, HIAS) National NGOs (e.g. Praksis, Greek Council for Refugees, Metradrasi,) Volunteer organisations (e.g. Legal Centre Lesbos, Mosaik Support Centre, European Lawyers in Lesvos, Refugee Info Bus) Community organisations and networks (e.g. Greek Forum of Refugees, Arabiclanguage online platform that disseminates information to the Arabic-speaking community) Within the scope of the fast track border procedure, GAS conducts an initial admissibility determination, based on EASO/GAS interview. Within the regular procedure, asylum claims are examined directly on their merits GAS assesses potential vulnerabilities of applicants who have not been previously identified as vulnerable (if identified during the asylum procedure) Decision on international protection status is made by GAS People arriving on the islands might be restricted in RICs for up to 25 days, but even afterwards a geographic restriction to the island is imposed by the GAS. Restrictions may be lifted under certain conditions (e.g. Dublin cases, vulnerable cases, after recognition) Citizens of countries with low asylum recognition rates may be detained on arrival until a final decision on their asylum application Separated children or UAMs are held in ‘protective custody’ in RICs until transferred to transit or longer-term shelters IOM supports an Assisted Voluntary Return and Reintegration (AVRR) programme