- 11 Response by the Ministry of Migration Policy 2 March 2017 Φ09222/1561 ΗΕLLENIC REPUBLIC Ministry ofMigration Policy Asylum Service Central Service: 2, P.Kanellopoulou str., 10177 Athens, tel. 210 6988500/fax: 2106988586, asylo@asylo.gov.gr, www.asylo.gov.gr Department of International and European Cooperation. Enquiries: L.Lamprianidou, tel. 210 6988525/e-mail: a.lamprianidou@asylo.gov.gr Athens, 2/3/2017 Ref.No.: 3471 TO: Ministry of Foreign Affairs D3 Direction of OSCE (attn. Mr. A.Bountouris) E-mail: aboundouris@mfa.gr Cc: -Ministry of Migration Policy Minister’s Office E-mail: grafeioypurgoy@ypes.gr -Ministry of Foreign Affairs G4 Direction of Justice, Domestic Affairs-Schengen G04@mfa.gr D4 Direction of Human Rights, Minorities, Refugees & Immigrants D04@mfa.gr SUBJECT: Report on Greece of the European Committeefor the prevention of torture and other inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment (CPT) of the Council of Europe Re: your document under ref.no. 6602.3/AS7748/17-2-2017 In reply to the foregoing document, we bring to your notice the following and you are kindly requested to consider including them in the comments that will be submitted on behalf of Greece to the recent Reports of CPT on the country (period of consideration: April-July 2016). In particular, in the text of the Report there is reference to: -«the lengthy asylum procedures and long waiting times»: it is noted here that for the period between 20-3-2016 and 31-1-2017, the cases reviewed according to the procedure in the borders on the islands operating as «hotspots», the average time for the delivery of first instance judgements (judgments on the admissibility-judgments on the merits-judgments on the reference to the regular proceedings) is 42 calendar days (related data attached). -«insufficient provision of information and legal aid as well as difficulties in accessing a lawyer»: The service distributes to the applicants a brochure in 19 languages that contains all the main information in relation to the procedure followed. That information is posted on the webpage of the Asylum Service (www.asylo.gov.gr). Aliens or stateless persons that are in detention facilities or border crossing points are provided with information on the possibility of submitting an application for international protection by both the Asylum Service and the European Asylum Support Office (EASO) that assist it in cooperation with the other authorities engaged in those