Where cessation proceedings are initiated, the beneficiaries are informed in writing at least 15 days before the review of whether they meet the necessary conditions for international protection and the reasons for the review.1357 The beneficiaries are entitled to submit their views on why the status granted should not be withdrawn.1358 This provision is always respected by the Asylum Service. By contrast, in GCR’s experience, the Headquarters of the Hellenic Police 1359 does not apply this provision in practice. It does not give the beneficiaries the right to a prior hearing either in writing or orally. The beneficiary is only notified of the cessation decision. During the renewal stage, even for the procedure before the Headquarters of the Hellenic Police, GCR observed that, in the years 2025–2026, following the submission of a renewal application, the Headquarters of the Hellenic Police notifies applicants who are beneficiaries of international protection with a document requesting that, either through an interview or by way of written submissions, they present within 20 days the reasons why they continue to face persecution in their country of origin. This practice effectively initiates a re-examination procedure on the merits, which in several cases—particularly concerning beneficiaries of subsidiary protection, including individuals originating from countries facing an extremely dangerous security situation, such as Afghanistan—leads to the non-renewal of residence permits and the cessation of their international protection status. In case of negative decisions of 1st instance issued either by the Asylum Service or the Headquarters of the Hellenic Police, beneficiaries of international protection have the right to lodge an appeal before the Appeals Authority within thirty days from the service of the negative decision. However, as noted, beneficiaries of international protection for whom the competent authority is the Headquarters of the Hellenic Police, are in practice deprived of a degree of jurisdiction, since they are never heard at 1 st instance. As these beneficiaries do not have an Asylum Service case number, but instead a Police Headquarters file number, they have to wait for months until their case is given an asylum service case number so that their appeal can be examined by the Appeals Authority. During 2025, the Asylum Service did not renew international protection status (i.e., implying a cessation) in a total of 11 cases, the majority of which concerning nationals of Iraq (6) and Syria (3). 1360 According to an announcement by the MoMA, the Revocations Unit of the Returns Directorate of the Asylum Service proceeded, during the period from 1 March 2026 to 9 April 2026, with the revocation of 1,203 refugee statuses of Syrian nationals.1361 Pending the appeal, all beneficiaries of international protection are provided, either by the Asylum Service or the Headquarters of the Hellenic Police, with a certificate proving they have filed an appeal. This certificate, however, does not give them access to the labour market, health care, or social assistance. In fact, it only offers them protection from detention. Where the person appeals the decision, contrary to the Asylum Procedure, the Appeals Committee is required to hold an oral hearing of the beneficiary in cessation cases. 1362 1357 1358 1359 1360 1361 1362 Article 96(2)(a) Asylum Code. Article 96(2)(b) Asylum Code. The Headquarters of the Hellenic Police is competent for beneficiaries of international protection who applied for international protection before the start of Asylum Service’s operation. RSA, Recognised refugee statistics in Greece in 2025, March 2026, available at: https://tinyurl.com/435psr2v, p.6. MoMa, 14.4.2026 available at: https://migration.gov.gr/1-203-anakliseis-kathestoton-diethnoys-prostasias-politonapo-ti-syria-protia-tis-elladas-me-50-ton-etheloysion-epistrofon-poy-ginontai-apo-tin-ee-pros-ti-syria/(in Greek) Article 102(3) Asylum Code. 266