Assistance to the Asylum Service

Project facts

Project promoter:
Asylum Service
Project Number:
GR06-0002
Target groups
Asylum-seekers
Status:
Completed
Initial project cost:
€7,575,090
Final project cost:
€4,343,142
From EEA Grants:
€ 3,691,671
The project is carried out in:
Greece

More information

Description

In order to implement the Greek Action Plan on Asylum and Migration Management there are challenges such as: ensuring full access to the asylum procedure, implementing a quick, fair and efficient asylum procedure at first and second instance, and ensuring services related to the asylum procedure to asylum seekers as provided for in EU and Greek legislation. This project aims at giving a vital boost to the operation of the Asylum Service (AS) and Regional Offices as well as the Appeals Authority. Therefore, the project will provide for 80.000 decisions on international protection claims taken at first instance, 10400 of which will be received and processed within the First Reception Centers. Important elements of the Project will be the provision of services for asylum seekers, such as interpretation, referral of those who have been subjected to torture to specialized doctors, provision of information leaflets, counseling to the AS case workers and to asylum seekers, in particular vulnerable groups such as unaccompanied minors. In cooperation with UDI, the AS is expected to build knowledge and techniques through actions of exchanging best practices on optimization of the asylum procedure.

Summary of project results

Greek government in 2011, in order to normalize the procedures of examining applications and granting or not asylum, after several years when the responsibility was in Hellenic Police, established Asylum Service (AS) as the first civil service of the country dealing with the provision of international protection. According to Law 3907/2011 and later on 4375/2016, AS receives, examines and decides, in accordance with the national legislation and international obligations of the country, on asylum applications submitted in Greece by third country nationals (TCNs) who have left their country due to justified fear of persecution on grounds of racial, religious, ethnic or political beliefs. AS also supports national policy on international protection matters in the European Union. Moreover, AS provided administrative support to the newly established Appeals Authority, responsible to examine in the second instance appeals against international protection claims that were rejected at first instance. This Pre-defined project was a vital boost to AS financial needs at the very beginning of the Service’s establishment as it funded for about 36 months salaries for extra staff members, interpretation services for the TCNs applicants, printing in different languages informative material on their rights and obligations as well as psychological support to AS staff. During the implementation of the project AS gave a) decisions to 27.419 TCNs applying for asylum b) facilitation in access for international protection procedures to a lot of TCNs as well as to 1.384 TCNs asylum seekers staying in Reception and Identification Center in Fylakio by providing adequate information on the right to seek asylum, information about the asylum authorities and access to the relevant services for inclusion in voluntary return procedures. All these in accordance to the Greek Action Plan and the subsequent policy on migration and asylum matters. Finally, bilateral relations between Greece and the Donor countries were facilitated particularly by: a) widening cooperation between Greece and Norway and b) dissemination of knowledge and mutual understanding.

Summary of bilateral results