Applications must be lodged in person, 326 except under force majeure conditions.327 According to the Asylum Code, the lodging of the application must contain inter alia the personal details of the applicant and the full reasons for seeking international protection.328 As a general rule, the Asylum Code provides that the asylum applicant’s card, which is provided to all persons who have been fully registered, i.e., lodged their application, is valid for 1 year, which can be renewed as long as the examination is pending. 329 However, the Asylum Code provides for a number of cases where the asylum applicant’s card can be valid for shorter periods. Thus, the validity of an asylum applicant’s card can be set for a period: ❖ No longer than 3 months, where the applicant belongs to a nationality with a recognition rate lower than 35% in accordance with the official EU statistics and by taking into consideration the period for the issuance of a first instance decision expected; 330 ❖ No longer than 30 days, where the communication of a decision or a transfer on the basis of the Dublin Regulation is imminent;331 ❖ No longer than 30 days, where the application is examined “under absolute priority” or “under priority”, under the accelerated procedure, under Art. 89 (inadmissible) or under the border procedure.332 In 2022, the Asylum Service registered 37,362 applications for international protection, mainly lodged by Afghans (5.624) and Syrians (5.050).333 In 2023, the Asylum Service registered 64,212 applications for international protection, mainly lodged by Syrian (21.8%), Afghan (14.8%), Palestinian (10.5%) and Iraqi (10.1%) nationals.334 Until November 2024, the Asylum Service registered 67.004 applications for international protection, mainly lodged by Syrian (30,9%), Afghan (19,9%) and Egyptian (9,9%) nationals.335 Role of EUAA (previously EASO) in registration 336 EUAA (previously EASO) deploys Registration Assistants to support the Greek Asylum Service in charge of registration across the territory. Registration Assistants are almost exclusively locally recruited interim staff, notably because citizenship is required for access to the database managed by the police (Αλκυόνη) which is used by the Asylum Service. In 2024, the number of registrations carried out by the EUAA in Greece increased to 46,701 applications for international protection (35,723 in 2023). Of these, 87% related to the top 10 citizenships of applicants and in particular Syrians (15,192), Afghans (11,162), Egyptians (4,701), Palestinians (1,950), Eritreans (1,781), Somalis (1,260) and Yemenis (1,210).337 3.2. Access to the procedure on the mainland Access to the asylum procedure has remained a structural and endemic problem in Greece for many years, both during the period when the police authorities338 were competent for the asylum procedure and even after the start of the operation of the Asylum Service in 2013. (for more information see ΑIDA 2023 and previous years). On 13 July 2022, the Ministry of Migration and Asylum operationalised a new online platform for booking of appointments for lodging an initial asylum application in person for asylum applicants in Greece, which, as noted in several national Court decisions in cases represented by GCR, 339 is tantamount to confirming 326 327 328 329 330 331 332 333 334 335 336 337 338 339 Article 83(3) of Asylum Code. Article 83(4) of Asylum Code. Article 69(1) of Asylum Code. Article 75 (1) of Asylum Code. Article 75 (2) of Asylum Code. Article 75 (3) of Asylum Code. Article 75 (4) of Asylum Code. Information published by the Asylum Service 31 December 2022, available in Greek at: https://bit.ly/41W5ZsN. MoMA, Statistics, Consolidated Reports - Overview: December 2023 - International Protection | Appendix A, available at: https://tinyurl.com/yc2stzh7, table 8a. See here. It should be noted that Regulation 2021/2023 entered into force on 19 January 2022, transforming EASO into the EU Agency for Asylum (EUAA). Information provided by the EUAA, 14 March 2025. Greek Ombudsperson, “Problems in the reception and examination of asylum applications at the Athens Aliens Department”, 2005, available in Greek here. ; see also GCR, Asylum campaign invitation to a press conference, 12 October 2012, available here. Indicatively, ΔΠρΚαβ. 164/2023, ΜΠρΑθ 1524/2023 and ΔΠρΚομ ΑΠ163/2023. 72