Prior to any analysis of the statistics, it must be noted that ‘[full and transparent publication of asylum statistics has been a core demand of MPs and civil society in Greece from the re-establishment of the Ministry of Migration and Asylum to present […] monthly reports of the Ministry of Migration and Asylum do not disaggregate first and second instance decisions by country of origin. However, detailed figures by country and type of decisions have been secured through parliamentary questions.819 Up until the end of 2020, the safe third country concept was only applied in the context of the Fast-Track Border Procedure under Article 84 IPA, previously in force, to those who entered Greece after 20 March 2016 via the Greek Aegean islands and under a measure of geographical restriction. It should be noted that the concept was only applied to Syrian nationals. Since June 2021, all applications for international protection submitted by nationals of Syria, Afghanistan, Somalia, Pakistan and Bangladesh throughout the Greek territory are examined under the safe third country concept pursuant to JMD 42799/2021, as amended by JMD 485868/2021 and 734214/2022. Based on this new policy, asylum applications of people from the aforementioned five nationalities are not examined on the basis of their individual circumstances and the risks they face in their country of origin. Instead, they are presumed to be safe in Türkiye, and only if Türkiye is proven not to be safe, these applications are deemed ‘admissible’, and the competent decision authorities proceed to the examination of their applications on the merits. Three out of the five nationalities mentioned in the JMD 42799/03.06.2021 are amongst those with the highest recognition rate in Greece. In 2020, before the adoption of said JMD, 92% of Syrians, 66% of Afghans, and 94% of Somalis (median acceptance rate: 84%) received refugee or subsidiary protection status.820 According to MoMA statistics, during 2024, a total of 3,310 inadmissibility decisions were issued pursuant to JMD 734214/06.12.2022. These included 2,143 first-instance inadmissibility decisions and 1,142 second-instance inadmissibility decisions. Of the latter, 1,132 inadmissibility decisions were issued under the border procedure based on the 'safe third country' concept, 11 inadmissibility decisions under the border procedure concerning Albania as a 'safe third country,' and 24 inadmissibility decisions under the border procedure concerning North Macedonia as a 'safe third country.821 During 2025, statistics mention a striking decrease of relevant decisions: 464 first instance inadmissibility decisions were issued under the border procedure applying the safe third country concept, and 66 at the second instance border procedure applying the safe third country concept, 11 inadmissibility decisions under the border procedure concerning Albania as a safe third country, and 27 inadmissibility decisions under the border procedure concerning North Macedonia as a 'safe third country,822 leading to a total of 568 cases declared as inadmissible. Between the two years there is a difference of more than 2,500 cases with no evident explanation leading to reasonable reservations regarding their accuracy. Additionally, mention should be made to the number of cases found admissible yet rejected after an inmerit examination of the claim as manifestly unfounded at the second instance due again to safe country of origin. According to the statistics during 2025 3,154 case were rejected on that notion (3,674 in 2024).823 Continued application of the safe third country concept despite the lack of prospects of removal to Türkiye and developments during 2025 In addition to the above, according to the official statistics of the Ministry of Migration and Asylum published in December 2024, ‘Returns under the EU-Türkiye Joint Statement have not been made since 819 820 821 822 823 RSA, The Greek asylum procedure in figures in 2022, Analysis of main trends in refugee protection, available at: https://bit.ly/4482hhP, p. 2. GCR, EU-Türkiye Statement: Six years of undermining refugee protection, 8 NGOs warn that policies implemented in Greece keep displaced people from accessing asylum procedures, despite clear need of protection, available in Greek at: https://bit.ly/3tMP7GU, 1. MoMA, Statistics, available at: https://bit.ly/4arfSEx, 7-8. MoMA, Statistics, Consolidated Reports - Overview: December 2025- International Protection | Appendix A, available at: https://tinyurl.com/26ynfarp table 8a 8b Ibid 177