check the last phase of the procedure. While drawing up the present report, the verification of age appears to still be based mainly on the medical assessment carried out at the hospitals, according to a standard method that includes an x-ray and dental examination, without recording the method followed or other information, while the clinical assessment of the anthropometric figures and the psychosocial assessment is either absent or limited. This makes more difficult the further verification of the scientific correctness of the assessments.55 Especially during the period after the EU-Turkey statement entered into force, it is claimed56 that, the particular conditions created in the RICs do not contribute towards a suitable environment for the conduct of specialised medical examinations, such as those required for age determination. At the same time, they exacerbate any stressinducing factors for the refugee and migrant population, making it difficult for each individual to provide the information required for an age assessment. The problem becomes more acute by the absence of suitable medical staff, but mostly of interpreters. Even though the stipulated procedure of the above ministerial decisions is an example of exceptional progress compared to the previous situation, where the verification of minority depended on the judgement of the police officer, the only criterion being the anthropometric characteristics of the third-country national, however, there are still today serious doubts about the proper and systematic implementation of the stipulated procedures,57 seeing a preoccupation with the result of the medical check, even when the minor produces copies of documents from the country of origin that determine the age. In conclusion, one could claim that the implementation of a reliable system for age verification, by adopting specific guarantees, remains a goal to be attained. registration.58 In such a case they are referred to public hospital departments for medical examinations, as described above, but even after they raise the claim of minority, they continue to be treated as adults, remaining in the same detention spaces as them.59 Also, even if they possess documents proving their age, they are not taken into consideration when they lack validation by a competent authority of the country of their issue. Finally, it is worth noting that the cases referred for medical examinations often encounter great delays from the time the claim is made until the actual conduct of the examinations, resulting in their reaching the age of majority in the meanwhile.60 The issue of administrative detention of minors has been under the scrutiny of the Greek Ombudsman since the start of its operation, but Administrative detention to this day it has not yet become feasible to render deand protective custody tention a truly last resort, at least upon their entry into the country. Of course its duration and conditions differ, depending on the number of arrivals and the policies being implemented; as a result, depending on the circumstances, we sometimes have an inflationary implementation of the measure and sometimes not (e.g. in September 2016, after the conflicts in the RIC of Moria, the unaccompanied minors were moved en masse to other facilities on the mainland).61 However, it is worth noting that during the 2015-2016 period, the number of unaccompanied minors in detention dropped; an effort was made in the opposite direction to increase accommodation centers.62 3.2. Administrative detention of unaccompanied minors There are three legislative initiatives that regulate the deprivation of the liberty of the minors, which is of an In practice we observe the phenomenon, where third-country nationals who have been registered as adults, claim minority at a later time, after their initial 58 See relevant reports No. 223925/2017 and 223926/2017. 55 See report No. Φ 221878/2016 to the Greek Ombudsman regarding the case of a minor for which an age determination act was issued by the Reception and Identification Service, based on a medical document without a prior psychosocial assessment. 61 See relevant publicationhttp://www.emprosnet.gr/article/87078-sto-pikpata-asynodeyta-prosfygopoyla The presumption of minority 56 See relevant findings of the DOCTORS OF THE WORLD organisation in The verification of the minority of unaccompanied minor third-country nationals. S. Poularakis. August 2016 http://mdmgreece.gr/diapistosi-tis-anilikotitas-anilikonallodapon-skepsis-ke-provlimatismi/ 57 See op. cit. report No. 221878/2016. 59 See relevant report No. 223926/2017. 60 Similarly, Ombudsman Report The issue of verification of minority of unaccompanied minors of October 2014 at https://www.synigoros.gr/resources/ porisma_diapistosi-anilikotitas-asynodefton-anilikon.pdf and recent report No. Φ 223926/2017, referring to long delays in the registration at the RICs by the Greek Council for Refugees. 62 This finding is included in letter No. 207835/2175/2016 by the Ombudsman to the Hellenic Police Headquarters, and it is based on the on-site inspection carried out on 16.11.2015 at the detention sites of the Aliens Police Division of Attica, as well as on-site inspections carried out later: the on-site inspection dated 11.4.2016 at the ΕΗΠΑ [Special Space for the Stay of Third-country Nationals], in Amygdaleza, Attica, and on 23.8.2016 at the Police Stations of Liti and Kilkis. Of course, during the on-site inspection carried out on 27-30.7.2016, at the RICs of Lesvos and Chios, we found 129 unaccompanied minors. 25