Role of EUAA (previously EASO) in registration276 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 2023, the number of registrations carried out by the EUAA in Greece increased to 35,723 applications for international protection. Of these, 83% related to the top 10 citizenships of applicants and in particular Syrians (8,802), Afghans (5,202), Iraqis (4,380), Palestinians (4,377), Pakistanis (1,847), Somalis (1,705), and Egyptians (1,199).277 3.2 Access to the procedure on the mainland Access to the asylum procedure remained a structural and endemic problem in Greece for many years. Difficulties with regard to access to the asylum procedure have been observed since the very start of the operation of the Asylum Service in 2013, in particular due to Asylum Service staff shortages and the nonoperation of all RAO provided by law. A previous system for granting appointments for registration of asylum applications existed since 2014 through Skype, but proved inefficient to adequately allow access of persons applying for asylum to the procedure. Deficiencies in the Skype appointment system stemmed from limited capacity and availability of interpretation, and barriers to applicants’ access to the internet. Consequently, prospective asylum seekers frequently had to try multiple times (often over a period of several months) before they managed to get through to the Skype line to obtain an appointment for the full registration of their application, while they remained undocumented and, therefore, were facing the danger of a potential arrest and detention by the police. They were deprived of the assistance to which they are entitled as asylum seekers, including reception conditions and in particular, access to housing.278 On 13 July 2022, the Ministry of Migration and Asylum operationalised a new online platform for the booking of appointments for lodging an initial asylum application in person for asylum seekers in Greece, which, as noted in several national Court decisions in cases represented by GCR,279 is tantamount to confirming a person’s will to apply for asylum. The procedure applies to all third country nationals arriving in Greece and wishing to claim asylum, as well as for those already residing in Greece and who have not been through reception and identification procedures. The platform is available in twelve languages (Greek, Kurmanji, Albanian, Georgian, Arabic, Bengali, Dari, English, Farsi, Pashto, Turkish and Urdu), and after applicants have provided their personal information, they are asked to choose one of two registration facilities: in Diavata (Thessaloniki) or Malakasa (Attica). Once the electronic form is completed, a registration appointment would be assigned to the applicant and communicated via email. The first appointments took place on 1 September 2022, and it is understood that the facilities reached full capacity on the same day.280 Between December 2023 and 23 June 2023, a total of 10,756 preregistrations took place via the platform.281 Data from 23 June onwards are not available, as noted,282 on account of “the upgrade of the computer system carried out by the Services of the Ministry of Immigration and Asylum”. 276 277 278 279 280 281 282 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, 26 February 2024. For more, inter alia, see AIDA, Country Report Greece: 2020 Update, June 2021, available at: https://bit.ly/3BWlPJ3. Indicatively, ΔΠρΚαβ. 164/2023, ΜΠρΑθ 1524/2023 and ΔΠρΚομ ΑΠ163/2023. Statement published by Mobile Info Team, New asylum seeker registration procedure begins today and is already at capacity: People will be forced to remain undocumented for 14 months as they wait for an appointment in Diavata or Malakasa, 1 September 2022, available at: https://bit.ly/3NzpMKj. MoMA, Statistics, Consolidated Reports - Overview: December 2023 - International Protection | Appendix A, available at: https://tinyurl.com/yc2stzh7, table 7a. Ibid. 67