The most recent Greek asylum laws define an unaccompanied child as a person below the age of 18 without an adult customarily or legally responsible for his or her care25 and it makes representation of all unaccompanied children by a guardian mandatory, regardless of whether the child has asked for asylum.26 According to the law, an unaccompanied child’s asylum claim is to be assessed by a competent official, on the basis of up-to-date and precise information, and after an objective and impartial examination, taking into account child-specific forms of persecution.27 In reality, however, asylum applications are routinely rejected and remain without a fair and full assessment (see chapter IV). There is, furthermore, a lack of legal protection for unaccompanied children who do not seek asylum, including those who are prevented from accessing asylum procedures because of existing obstacles. Although these children are by law represented by a (temporary) guardian, their irregular status as migrants who illegally entered the country remains unchanged. As such, they are subject to arrest, detention, and deportation.28 Institutional Responsibilities Responsibility for unaccompanied refugee and migrant children is divided among various government entities. The police are responsible for virtually all aspects of immigration and asylum— including the adjudication of asylum claims at first instance and the deportation of migrants. The system lacks independent oversight and an unaccompanied child may be in contact only with the police from the point of arrival until his or her deportation. The Ministry of Health and Social Solidarity (Ministry of Health) is responsible for providing accommodation, access to medical services (including for victims of abuse 25 This definition does not make the additional distinction between an unaccompanied and a separated child, and there is no reference to whether an adult person who accompanies the child is the child’s primary care-giver (see definition by the Committee on the Rights of the Child in the methodology section). 26 Presidential Decree 220/2007, art. 19.1; Ministry of Interior Circular, Prot. No.: 5401/ 1 – 261100, February 23, 2008, Section 3. 27 Presidential Decree 90/2008, art. 6(2); Presidential Decree 96/2008, art. 9(f). 28 Law 3386/2005, arts. 76, 79(1), 83. Left to Survive 16