Between January and December 2025, a total of 50 beneficiaries of international protection, primarily from Syria (13) and Afghanistan (10), received the Greek citizenship, of which 45 were refugee status holders and 5 were beneficiaries of subsidiary protection. During the same period, a total of 25 new applications for citizenship were submitted by beneficiaries of international protection. 1350 5. Cessation and review of protection status Indicators: Cessation 1. Is a personal interview of the beneficiary in most cases conducted in practice in the cessation procedure? Yes No 2. Does the law provide for an appeal against the first instance decision in the cessation procedure? Yes No 3. Do beneficiaries have access to free legal assistance at first instance in practice? Yes With difficulty No ❖ Beneficiaries of international protection who fall under the jurisdiction of the Headquarters of the Hellenic Police (old procedure) are not provided with free legal assistance. Cessation of international protection is regulated by Articles 10 and 15 Asylum Code. A third-country national or stateless person ceases to be a refugee if they: 1351 (a) Voluntarily re-avail themselves of the protection of their country of origin; (b) Voluntarily re-acquire the nationality they had previously lost; (c) Have obtained a new nationality and benefit from that country’s protection; (d) Have voluntarily re-established themselves in the country they had fled or outside of which they had resided for fear of persecution; (e) May no longer deny the protection of their country of origin due to the conditions leading to their recognition as a refugee having ceased to exist. (f) in the case of a stateless person, are able to return to the country of former habitual residence because the circumstances which led to their recognition as a refugee have ceased to exist. With regard to the provisions of Article (10)(1)(e) and (f), the change of circumstances must be substantial and durable.1352 Moreover, these provisions shall not apply to a refugee who is in a position to invoke compelling reasons arising from previous persecution to refuse the protection afforded to them by the country of origin or, in case of a stateless person, by the country of their former habitual residence. 1353 A third-country national or stateless person shall cease to be entitled to subsidiary protection when the circumstances which led to the recognition of their status have ceased to exist or when those circumstances have changed to such an extent that the protection granted is no longer necessary.1354 In this context, it is examined whether the change of circumstances is of such a substantial and nontemporary nature that the beneficiary of subsidiary protection no longer faces a real risk of suffering serious harm.1355 However, the cessation shall not apply to a beneficiary of subsidiary protection who is in a position to invoke compelling reasons arising from a previous serious harm to refuse the protection afforded to him by his country of nationality or, in the case of a stateless person, by his country of former habitual residence.1356 1350 1351 1352 1353 1354 1355 1356 Ibid. Article 10(1) Asylum Code. Article 10(2) Asylum Code. Article 10(3) Asylum Code. Article 15(1) Asylum Code. Article 15(2) Asylum Code. Article 15(3) Asylum Code. 265