Namely, in a joint statement issued on 21 May 2026, twelve civil society organisations-members of the Child Rights Advocacy Network (CRAN), expressed serious concern over the systematic defunding and operational rollbacks targeting the domestic protection infrastructure for unaccompanied and separated refugee children in Greece. The coalition detailed immediate structural threats to specialized reception networks, noting that the Ministry of Migration and Asylum is actively shutting down vital Emergency Accommodation Facilities, alongside the planned phased termination of Supervised Apartments for SemiIndependent Living (SILs). Furthermore, chronic state funding delays and the non-renewal of essential operational contracts have forced key implementing partners to suspend auxiliary child protection actions within the National Emergency Response Mechanism (Ε.Μ.Ε.Α.) in Athens. The signatory organisations argue that downscaling these networks flagrantly violates international obligations under the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child –specifically the best interests of the child (Article 3), nondiscrimination (Article 2), and General Comment No. 6 regarding standard of living requirements– and they urge the Greek government to ensure immediate, unhindered funding, emphasising that child protection is a permanent state duty that cannot be treated as a temporary mechanism dependent on border arrival fluctuations.1156 Shelters for unaccompanied children: long-term accommodation facilities for unaccompanied children (shelters) are managed primarily by civil society entities and charities. Supported Independent Living (SIL): “Supported Independent Living for unaccompanied minors” is an alternative housing arrangement for unaccompanied children aged 16 to 18 launched in 2018. The programme includes housing and a series of services (education, health etc.) and aims to enable the smooth coming of age and integration to Greek society.1157 Emergency Accommodation Facilities: Emergency accommodation facilities are temporary accommodation places, for unaccompanied children who are traced living homeless or in precarious living conditions, operating under the National Emergency Response Mechanism (NERM) and run by IOM. The Emergency Accommodation Facilities provide an immediate assessment of the best interest of UAMs and a comprehensive protection, including the provision of psychosocial, legal and medical support and the referral to long-term accommodation shelters 1158. F. Information for asylum seekers and access to reception centres 1. Provision of information on reception According to Article 47 (1) Asylum Code, the competent authorities shall inform the applicant, within 15 days after the lodging of the application for international protection, of their rights and the obligations with which they must comply relating to reception conditions, by providing an informative leaflet in a language that the applicant understands. This material must provide information on the existing reception conditions, including health care, as well as on the organisations that provide assistance to asylum applicants.1159 If the applicant does not understand any of the languages in which the information material is published or if the applicant is illiterate, the information must be provided orally, with the assistance of an interpreter.1160 A number of actors are providing information to newly-arrived persons on the islands and the mainland. However, as also mentioned in Provision of Information on the Procedure, access to comprehensive information remains a matter of concern, especially in the context of asylum, due to the expanded set of obligations and penalties that can be imposed on applicants pursuant to the Asylum Code. 1156 1157 1158 1159 1160 CRAN, Joint Statement by the Child Rights Advocacy Network, 21 May 2026, available in Greek at: https://tinyurl.com/ms92bd23. Metadrasi, Supported Independent Living for unaccompanied minors, available at: https://bit.ly/2tPEljv. MoMA / Special Secretariat for the Protection of UAMs, National Emergency Response Mechanism. A safety net for unaccompanied children identified in precarious living conditions, November 2022, available at: https://tinyurl.com/2msh79hc. Article 47 (2) Asylum Code. Article 47 (3) Asylum Code. 233