Author
During 2022, there was obvious differential treatment by the State towards Ukrainian refugees and asylum seekers and refugees from all other countries; a welcoming policy that created a two-tiered reception system. Immediate access to the labour market and medical care, accommodation and food support; launch of an online pre-registration platform were all completed by the end of March 2022. For all other refugees and asylum seekers and also for Ukrainians who were in Greece before 26 November 2022 the situation has not ameliorated: difficulties in accessing the asylum procedure, problematic reception procedure and provisions of material conditions, pushbacks practices and quarantine measures remain.[1]
Implementation of the so-called “pilot project” by the police, which resulted in the detention upon arrival of so-called ‘low-refugee profile’ applicants (i.e. nationals and/or previous residents from countries with less than 25% average recognition rates throughout the EU),[2] was not observed during the year in the case of Lesvos (where it was implemented up-to the destruction of Moria RIC) or Kos. Nevertheless, in the case of Kos, this seems to have been fully replaced by the detention upon arrival of the majority of newcomers, which remained in effect throughout the largest part of the year.
[1] For the two-tier refugee response, see among others: Greek Council for Refugees / OXFAM / Save the Children International, Greece: A two-tier refugee system, Bi-monthly bulletin, May 2022, available at: https://bit.ly/3OJOetv. Greek Council for Refugees / OXFAM / Save the Children International, Greece: Bimonthly bulletin on Refugees and Migrants, July 2022, available at: https://bit.ly/3qhFfWx, 12-14.
[2] Inter alia see GCR & SCI, Borderlines of Despair: First-line reception of asylum seekers at the Greek borders, 25 May 2018, available at: https://bit.ly/397zY5M; HIAS, Locked up without rights: Nationality-based detention in the Moria refugee camp, December 2019, available at: https://bit.ly/381UiFG.