The main nationalities registered by the RIS last year were as follows:
Main nationalities of registrations in reception & identification
procedures: 2023
0
2000
4000
6000
8000
10000
12000
14000
16000
Syria
Afghanistan
Palestine
Iraq
Somalia
Turkiye
Egypt
Ethiopia
Sierra Leone
DRC
Evros & islands
Mainland
Source: Ministry of Migration and Asylum, Reception and identification statistics, 2023
These countries of origin coincide with the main nationalities of people who sought
asylum in Greece during the same period. Most of the 64,212 asylum applications
lodged in 2023 concerned Syria (14,015), Afghanistan (9,488), Palestine (6,736) and Iraq
(6,455).5
Return procedures
Throughout 2023, the Hellenic Police issued 29,869 removal orders against third-country
nationals and stateless persons. Specifically, it took 19,188 return decisions based on L
3907/2011 transposing the Return Directive, 10,681 deportation decisions based on L
3386/2005 in derogation from the Return Directive.
As we have repeatedly highlighted, police authorities systematically circumvent EU law
by indiscriminately issuing deportation orders against newly arrived persons who seek
asylum and thereby enjoy a right to remain on the territory. 6 Figures show that
deportation orders in derogation from the Return Directive were issued in respect of
5
6
Ministry of Migration and Asylum, Statistics, December 2023, 6, available here.
RSA, Persisting systematic detention of asylum seekers in Greece, June 2022, available
here.
RSA POLICY NOTE │ IMMIGRATION DETENTION | MAY 2024
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