Author
Withdrawal or non-renewal of refugee status is provided under Article 13 of the Asylum Code, where the person:
- Ceases to be a refugee according to Article 10 of the Asylum Code
- Should have been excluded from refugee status according to Article 11 Asylum Code;
- The use of false or withheld information, including the use of false documents, was decisive in granting refugee status;
- Is reasonably considered to represent a threat to national security;[1] or
- Constitutes a threat to society following a final conviction for a particularly serious crime.
Without prejudice to the obligation of refugees to disclose any relevant information and to produce any relevant document available to them, in accordance with para. 1 of Article 3 of the Asylum Code, the determining authority shall demonstrate on an individual basis that the person concerned has ceased to be a refugee or has never been a refugee.[2]
Under Article 18 of the Asylum Code, subsidiary protection may be withdrawn in case of:
- cessation under Article 15 of the Asylum Code;
- a beneficiary should have been excluded from subsidiary protection status according to Article 16(1) and (2) of the Asylum Code;
- it is established that the person has provided false information, or omitted information, decisive to the granting of protection.
In case of withdrawals, the beneficiaries of international protection:[3]
- are informed in writing by the competent authority at least fifteen (15) working days before the re-examination of their international protection, as well as for the reasons of the re-examination,
- are entitled to submit a written statement to the competent authority, invoking the reasons why they consider that the status granted should not be withdrawn.
It is noted that in case of withdrawal, individuals have the right to submit an administrative appeal before the Appeals Committee within 30 days from the notification of the decision,[4] and in case of rejection, they may lodge an Application for Annulment before the competent Administrative Court within 30 days.[5] Moreover, according to Article 97(2) and 99(4) of the Asylum Code, if an appeal is submitted against a decision of revocation, the residence permit is returned to the appellant.
In October 2020, a Senegalese national, recognised refugee since 2014 (victim of female genital mutilation, forced marriage and sexual violence), submitted an application for the renewal of her and her three children’s residence permits before the Headquarters of the Hellenic Police. A year later, in November 2021, their renewal application was rejected based on the applicable at that time JMD 778/20.01.2021[6] pursuant to which Senegal was included in the list of safe countries of origin, without any individualised assessment and prior hearing. In December 2022, their appeal, submitted in December 2021, was examined by the 1st Appeals Committee. In March 2023, their appeal was rejected and their refugee status was revoked.[7] During 2021-2023 the refugee and her children had no access to the labour market, social security and healthcare, since they only held a certificate that they had lodged an appeal against their revocation decision. In June 2023, following the negative decision, they lodged an Application for Annulment before the Administrative Court of Athens, which was examined in March 2025 after many postponements. The decision is pending, while the applicants are still deprived of documents, and lack access to healthcare, legal residence, employment and ultimately protection.
As previously mentioned, revocation of international protection status can also take place for national security reasons. In a case of a Syrian refugee, who had been granted refugee status in 2017 due to his political beliefs imputed to him as a conscientious objector, his status was revoked on the grounds of national security. In August 2022, i.e., after almost six (6) years of legally residing in Greece, the applicant received a summons following the issuance of a classified document, on the basis of which his asylum status might be revoked because he was considered to be “a danger to the national security of the country” (Article 13 para. 4a, Law 4939/2022). In September 2022, decision of the Returns and Revocations Directorate, Revocations and Exclusions Department of the Asylum Service, was served to the refugee, pursuant to which his international protection status was revoked, his residence permit and travel document recalled, and he was ordered to return to Syria. In October 2022, the refugee filed an appeal before the Appeals Authority. However, his appeal was rejected in March 2023 by the 9th Appeal Committee,[8] despite the fact that at no stage of the administrative procedure had he been informed of the substantive content of the reasons for the revocation of his refugee status, which deprived him of the effective exercise of the right to an effective remedy, hearing, and defense, as well as the procedural guarantees provided in Article 23(1) of Directive 2013/32/EU. The refugee filed an Application for Annulment and Suspension before the Administrative Court of Athens. As his Application for Suspension was rejected, he lodged a request for interim measure (Rule 39) before the ECtHR. Interim measures were granted by the Court in December 2023 and the application was lodged in February 2024. The Application for Annulment was pending examination on 13 May 2026). However, the Court, acting ex officio, granted an adjournment to a date that has not yet been reflected in the electronic case management system and is still pending publication. (at the time of writing).
In an identical case of revocation of the refugee status of a Syrian national pursuant to classified documents, the 12th Appeals Committee issued a decision annulling the revocation decision of the Office of the Returns and Revocations Directorate, Revocations and Exclusions Department of the Asylum Service. In particular, the Appeals Committee found that there were no national security reasons, taking into account, inter alia, that the Committee itself never had full access to the classified documents/information itself despite having requested it. Instead, the Committee had access only to a document from the Asylum Service, which according to the Committee, was not sufficient in order for the refugee to be considered a danger for national security.[9]
The most important development regarding the revocation of refugee status for reasons of national security is the introduction of the application for annulment AK714/2024 under the pilot procedure before the Council of State.[10] The decision is still pending. This case concerns a Syrian refugee represented by GCR and according to the Council of State, legal issues of general interest which have consequences for a wider circle of persons arise. In particular, a) the interpretation of Article 76(4) L. 4939/2022, which transposed Article 23(1)(b) of the Directive 2013/32/EU into national law, where the decision revoking refugee status is taken on the basis of confidential documents, without the person concerned having knowledge of them at any stage of the procedure, and b) the compatibility of the provisions of Article 100(10) Asylum Code with the provisions of Article 5 of Directive 2008/115/EC, according to which the adoption of a return decision is precluded where the principle of non-refoulement is infringed. This case concerns a Syrian refugee whose refugee status was revoked as it was held that “there are grounds for considering the applicant to be reasonably considered a danger to national security“. The dismissal decision was based solely on a confidential document, the content of which and/or the essential elements of the file and/or at least the essential content of the grounds on which the withdrawal of the status granted was based, were not communicated to him or to his lawyer. As a result, it was impossible for the refugee to exercise effectively the right of defence and the right to an effective remedy.[11] The Council of State (Plenary Session) issued decision No. 535/2026 on 6 May 2026 concerning the withdrawal of refugee status, access to case-file information, and the principle of non-refoulement. The Court held that when refugee status is revoked on grounds that the individual is considered a threat to national security, access to information in the administrative file may exceptionally be restricted, subject to strict procedural and substantive safeguards balancing the right to be heard and effective judicial protection against national security interests. It further clarified that such limitations must not amount to an absolute denial of access and must comply with EU procedural guarantees.The Court also confirmed that a return decision may be issued simultaneously with the revocation of refugee status, provided that the destination country is clearly specified and that the principle of non-refoulement is strictly respected at every stage of the procedure, including by administrative authorities, the Appeals Committees, police authorities executing removal, and the courts reviewing the case. The assessment must be individualized and up to date at each procedural stage.[12]
The procedure described in Cessation is applicable to withdrawal cases.
On 12 April 2021, the Asylum Service issued a circular providing clarifications on the procedure regarding the provision of an opinion on the grounds of exclusion and revocation of the status of international protection prescribed by Article 91 IPA, as well as the renewal of residence permits (Article 2 IPA).[13] Μore over, on 14 February 2022, the Asylum Service issued a circular providing clarification on the commission of a serious crime and its consequences for granting and withdrawal of international protection status.[14]
During 2025, excluding the aforementioned 11 cases of cessation, the Asylum Service withdrew international protection in an additional 188 cases, the majority of which concerned nationals of Afghanistan (53), Türkiye (40), Palestine (29), Syria (29), and Iraq (21). The main ground for withdrawal related to “danger for the community” findings following a final conviction for a serious criminal offence (106 cases), followed by national security grounds (54).[15]
More recently, in April 2026, the MoMA also announced that between 1 May 2026 to 9 April 2026, the GAS proceeded with the revocation of international protection in 1,203 cases, all of which concerned Syrian nationals.[16]
In what concerns the “old procedure” under the competence of the Hellenic Police, during 2025, a total of 5 status revocation decisions were issued with regards to refugee status holders, 2 of whom were from Türkiye, 1 from Afghanistan, 1 from Sudan, and 1 from Pakistan.[17]
[1] The Asylum Service issued a Circular on 14 February 2022, concerning the cases where committing a serious crime is a ground for withdrawal or non-renewal of international protection status. See Asylum Service, Circular, prot. no. 87206, 14 February 2022, available in Greek at: https://tinyurl.com/2p8yxa2u, pp. 14 – 15.
[2] Article 13(2) Asylum Code.
[3] Article 96(2) Asylum Code.
[4] Article 97(1)(a) Asylum Code.
[5] Article 115 Asylum Code.
[6] JMD 778/20.01.2021, Gov. Gazette B’ 317/29.01.2021.
[7] Decision 180064/28.03.2023 of the 1st Independent Appeals Committee.
[8] Decision no. 186250/30.03.2023 of the 9th Independent Appeals Committee.
[9] Decision no. IΡ/14902/09.01.2024 of the 12th Independent Appeals Committee.
[10] Council of State, Διαδικασία άρθρου 1 παρ. 1 και 3 του ν. 3900/2010 (Α΄ 213) – Γνωστοποίηση της υπ’ αριθμ. 18/21.10.2024 πράξης της Επιτροπής του άρθρου 1 του ν. 3900/2010, available in Greek here.
[11] Decision no. ΙΡ/433248/18.7.2024 of the 3rd Independent Appeals Committee.
[12] Council of State (Plenary), Decision No. 535/2026, published 6 May 2026. Available in Greek at: https://tinyurl.com/4ntj3t5d.
[13] MoMA, 3716/12-4-21, Διευκρινίσεις – ορισμός διαδικασίας σχετικά με την παροχή γνώμης περί συνδρομής ή μη συνδρομής λόγων αποκλεισμού, την ανάκληση καθεστώτος διεθνούς προστασίας του αρ. 91 ν.4636/2019, καθώς και την ανανέωση των αδειών διαμονής του αρ. 24 ν.4636/2019, μετά τη θέση σε ισχύ του ΠΔ 106/2020, available in Greek at: https://bit.ly/3niHX8J.
[14] MoMA, 87206/14.02.2022, Διάπραξη σοβαρού εγκλήματος και οι συνέπειές της στη χορήγηση και ανάκληση του καθεστώτος διεθνούς προστασίας, 14 February 2022, available in Greek at: https://bit.ly/3IeaaYQ.
[15] RSA, Recognised refugee statistics in Greece in 2025, March 2026, available at: https://tinyurl.com/435psr2v, pp.6-7.
[16] MoMA, “1,203 revocations of international protection status for Syrian nationals – Greece leads the way with 50% of voluntary returns from the EU to Syria”, 14 April 2026, available in Greek at: https://tinyurl.com/2z6jkua2.
[17] Information provided by the Headquarters of the Hellenic Police.