The Greek asylum procedure in the first half of 2022: High recognition rates, rise in subsequent applications due to generalised “safe third country” policy
This Refugee Support Aegean (RSA) policy note analyses the main trends and developments in the Greek asylum procedure in the first half of 2022, based on responses to parliamentary questions and on monthly reports of the Ministry of Migration and Asylum.
Key figures
Asylum applications
- ♦ Out of a total of 14,110 asylum applicants in Greece, 43% were registered in Attica, 23% on the Eastern Aegean islands and 14% in Fylakio, Evros.
- ♦ 3,565 subsequent applications were lodged, including 627 subject to a 100 € fee. One in four claims was a subsequent application.
First instance procedure
- ♦ The (in-merit) recognition rate at first instance rose to 65.6%. In the border procedure, it reached 86.6%.
- ♦ The number of inadmissibility decisions based on the “safe third country” concept dropped to 1,137. Most concerned the mainland as only 251 were issued in the border procedure.
- ♦ Three out of four claims processed based on the national list of “safe third countries” were deemed admissible.
- ♦ The main inadmissibility ground was subsequent applications without new elements (1,490). Many of those concern applicants whose initial claims were dismissed based on the “safe third country” concept.
- ♦ The number of first-instance formal decisions remains high, with over 12,000 suspensions, terminations and withdrawals of applications.
Appeals
- ♦ The Appeals Committees took 10,041 second-instance decisions. Only 5.7% of those were positive.
Judicial review
- ♦ The success rate of judicial review of asylum decisions by the administrative courts rose from 10.4% in 2020 to 13.3% in 2021 and 16.3% in the first half of 2022.
