2. The Greek Consulate in Jerusalem certifies and even translates family reunification documents. Furthermore, it is the only Greek Consulate accepting documents by post to facilitate Palestinian refugees’ family members trapped in Gaza Strip. 3. The Honorary Greek Consulate in Douala / Cameroon certifies family reunification documents of Cameroonian nationals following GCR’s interventions to the Greek Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Available statistics During 2025 the Asylum Service received a total of 3,337 family reunification applications, the vast majority of which were submitted by refugees from Palestine (51.4%), followed by refugees from Syria (15.5%), Yemen (6.9%), Afghanistan (6,2%), and Somalia (4,3%). During the same year, the GAS issued a total of 1,142 decisions, primarily concerning cases of Palestinians and Syrians, the majority of which were granted.1408 In what concerns refugees subject to the “old procedure”, during 2025, the Hellenic Police received a total of 5 applications for family reunification, only two of which, concerning a refugee from Iraq and a stateless refugee were accepted.1409 GCR published the report “Family Reunification of Recognised Refugees in Greece – July 2025” on 8 July 2025. The report provides a comprehensive legal and practical analysis of the family reunification framework for recognised refugees in Greece, based on the implementation of Presidential Decree 131/2006 and the EU Family Reunification Directive 2003/86/EC. Drawing on the organisation’s extensive and long-standing field experience in handling refugee family reunification cases, it identifies persistent structural and procedural obstacles in practice, including administrative delays, restrictive evidentiary requirements, and inconsistent interpretations of the relevant legal framework. It is the first systematic practice-based report of its kind in Greece on refugee family reunification, reflecting many years of accumulated casework experience in the field. 1410 2. Status and rights of family members According to Articles 22 and 23 Asylum Code, family members of the beneficiary of international protection who do not individually qualify for such protection are entitled to a renewable residence permit, which must have the same duration as that of the beneficiary. However, if the family has been formed after entry into Greece and within Greece, the law requires the spouse to hold a valid residence permit at the time of entry into marriage in order to obtain a family member residence permit.1411 This requirement is difficult to meet in practice and may undermine the right to family life, since one must already have a residence permit in order to qualify for a residence permit as a family member of a refugee. The new Asylum Code allowed also partners with cohabitation agreements to obtain residence permits as refugee family members. 1412 The Asylum Code as well as previous legislation requires also the family to be formed within Greek territory. This means that beneficiaries’ children that were born after their parent entered Greece but outside of Greece could not obtain a residence permit as refugee family member. Moreover, after the implementation of the previous IPA and with the new Asylum Code, underage beneficiaries of international protection can no longer apply for the issuance of a residence permit for their non-refugee parent1413. The refugee family members that were granted a refugee family member residence permit cannot be granted a travel document of the Geneva 1408 1409 1410 1411 1412 1413 See RSA, Recognised refugee statistics in Greece in 2025, March 2026, available at: https://tinyurl.com/435psr2v, pp.5-6. Information provided by the Headquarters of the Hellenic Police on 28 February 2026. Greek Council for Refugees, Family Reunification of Recognised Refugees in Greece – July 2025, published 8 July 2025, available at: https://gcr.gr/en/gcr-reports/item/oikogeneiakes-epanenoseis-prosfygon-ioylios2025/ Article 23(4) Asylum Code. Ibid. E. Kagiou, & C. Katsigianni, “The issue of the issuance of residence permits to family members of beneficiaries of international protection (Law 4636/2019)”, Administrative Trial” (Dioikitiki Diki), Sakkoulas, Athens – Thessaloniki, Vol. 2/2020, June 2020, p. 243-248. 276