sisters from Afghanistan, who were found, despite their apparent vulnerability as minor girls, homeless and subsequently detained in an adult women's cell under "protective custody" at the Pre-removal Detention Centre of Taurus.1152 The unaccompanied minors were represented before the ECtHR by the Legal Unit of the Greek Council for Refugees (GCR). In their application, the minors complained, inter alia, of inhuman and degrading living conditions, their confinement and their placement in 'protective custody' in a detention centre resulting in their de facto detention, and their inability to challenge this decision. The Court, inter alia, stressed that the Greek authorities had failed to take prompt action to accommodate them emphasising that the large number of pending applications for accommodation for unaccompanied minors does not relieve the authorities of their positive obligations to protect them. Furthermore, specifically with regard to the placement of minors in "protective custody", the Court accepted the minors' arguments that this constituted an unlawful deprivation of their liberty and that there was no legal remedy available to the applicants to challenge the decision being an oral order of Prosecutorial Authorities. The Court further found a violation of Article 3 of the ECHR regarding the conditions to which the minors were exposed during their confinement at the Tavros Pre-removal detention centre. Types of accommodation for unaccompanied children During 2024 the accommodation capacity in total was 1,930 out of which 1,775 places in Accommodation Facilities (Accommodation Centers/SIL apartments) and 155 places in Emergency Accommodation Facilities.1153 According to the data published by the General Secretariat for Vulnerable Persons & Institutional Protection regarding the period 1 January to 1 December 2024, the total number of placement’s requests of UAMs that NERM received was 2005 while the Secretariat received a total of 5,716. During the same period Secreteriat processed 5,333 referrals which resulted in placement or a cancel of the referral. According to the same information 151 minors were placed in emergency accommodation facilities, 209 in SIL Apartments, 1372 in long term accommodation places, 176 in controlled accommodation facilities for asylum seekers and 506 in R.I.C/ C.C.A.C, a total of 2414. Of them, 89% were boys and 11% girls. 15% were below the age of 15 years old. Regarding nationality, 45% were from Egypt, 16% Somalia, 16% Syria, 10% Afghanistan, 3% Pakistan and a 9% other various nationalities. 1154 Regarding 2025, according to the data published by the General Secretariat for Vulnerable Persons & Institutional Protection regarding the period 1 January to 1 December 2025, the total number of placement’s requests of UAMs that NERM received was 1,354 while the Secretariat received a total of 4,440. During the same period the Secreteriat processed 4,846 referrals which resulted in placement or a cancel of the referral. According to the same information 87 minors were placed in emergency accommodation facilities, 205 in SIL Apartments, 1,243 in long-term accommodation places, 38 in controlled accommodation facilities for asylum seekers and 143 in R.I.C/ C.C.A.C, a total of 1.716. Of them 92% were boys and 8% girls. 13.1% were below the age of 15 years old. Regarding nationality, 53% were from Egypt, 12% Afghanistan, 8% Somalia, 8% Syria, 6% Sudan, and a 13 % other various nationalities. 1155 During 2025 the accommodation capacity in total was 1,900 out of which 145 places in Accommodation Facilities (Accommodation Centers/SIL apartments) and 155 places in Emergency Accommodation Facilities. Evidently there remains a large number of UAMs that have to remain in R.I.C, CCAC and in other unsuitable sheltering arrangements, with this trend expected to continue, following the MoMA’s reported plans to scale back the protection framework for UAM. 1152 1153 1154 1155 ECtHR case of T.S. and M.S. v. Greece, judgement of 3 October 2024, application no 15008/19. General Secretariat for Vulnerable Persons & Institutional Protection, Situation Update: Unaccompanied Minors (UAM) in Greece January 2024 – December 2024 https://tinyurl.com/2jsz7b3e Ibid General Secretariat for Vulnerable Persons & Institutional Protection, Situation Update: Unaccompanied Minors (UAM) in Greece January 2025 – December 2025 https://tinyurl.com/39tb9kh3 232