conditions who resided in Greek camps at the end of 2023, only 9,967 received the allowance according to official data of the Ministry of Migration and Asylum. 33 This means that more than 15,000 asylum seekers were deprived of the financial allowance they should be receiving from the RIS in addition to housing for the purpose of covering their daily expenses: Asylum seekers in the reception system: 31 Dec 2023 Financial allowance to asylum sekeers in camps: 31 Dec 2023 7246 9967 25484 In camps Outside camps 15517 Receive Do not receive Source: Ministry of Migration and Asylum, Reply to parliamentary question, 5 Mar 2024| Factsheet Financial Allowance, Dec 2023 | Statistics, Dec 2023 The extremely limited coverage of the asylum-seeking population demonstrates serious deficiencies in the grant of the financial allowance. The regulatory framework on the allowance states that “The financial allowance shall be disbursed on a monthly basis” 34 and that “The disbursement of the allowance shall start upon application of the applicants for international protection before [the RIS]. The application for grant of the allowance constitutes a solemn declaration that the applicant is not employed or that their employment does not provide sufficient funds”.35 In practice, applicants are asked upon the lodging of their asylum claim at the RIS whether they need accommodation and RIS registration officers fill in the “Need for housing” entry of the registration form accordingly. The authorities therefore may and in fact assess at that stage whether applicants lack funds and are thereby eligible for material reception conditions. Nevertheless, applicants sign the consent form to receive the financial allowance up to a month after the lodging of the application. Furthermore, the RIS clarifies that “the financial allowance is disbursed on account and charged in the first ten days of the second month following the reference month”36, that is two months later. Therefore, the financial allowance is disbursed to applicants with substantial delay and under a two-month retroactivity. 33 34 35 36 However, data supplied by the Greek government to Eurostat refer to 10,515 persons who received reception conditions at the end of 2023: Eurostat, migr_asymrca. Following a request, Eurostat informed us on 11 April 2024 that it would request clarifications from the Greek authorities on the discrepancies in the data. Article Β2 Annex ΙΙΙ JMD 2089/2021. Article Β4 Annex ΙΙΙ JMD 2089/2021. RIS, ‘Αίτηση Οικονομικού Βοηθήματος’, 440645/2023, 28 September 2023. RSA REPORT │ REFUGEE CAMPS IN MAINLAND GREECE | JUN 2024 9