Reception and Identification Centres (RIC) where hotspots are established (Lesvos, Chios, Samos, Leros, Kos). Appeal First instance decisions of the Asylum Service are appealed before the Independent Appeals Committees under the Appeals Authority. An appeal must be lodged within 30 days in the regular procedure, 20 days in the accelerated procedure, in case of an inadmissibility decision or if the applicant is detained, 15 days in the Dublin procedure, 10 days in the border procedure and in the fast-track border procedure and five days in the case of an inadmissibility decision on a subsequent application. Appeals submitted against decisions rejecting applications in the accelerated procedure or dismissed as inadmissible on certain grounds do not have an automatic suspensive effect. The procedure before the Appeals Committees is written. An Application for Annulment against a negative second instance decision can be filed before the First Instance Administrative Court of Athens or Thessaloniki within 30 days from the notification. No automatic suspensive effect is provided and there is no tailored free legal aid. B. Access to the procedure and registration 1. Access to the territory and push backs Indicators: Access to the Territory 1. Are there any reports (NGO reports, media, testimonies, etc.) of people refused entry at the border and returned without examination of their protection needs? Yes No 2. Is there a border monitoring system in place? Yes No 3. Who is responsible for border monitoring? National authorities NGOs 4. How often is border monitoring carried out? Frequently Never 5. Are there credible reports about pushbacks? Yes Rarely Other No Number of arrivals in Greece and statistics A total of 48,298 refugees and migrants arrived in Greece during 2025, as reported by the MoMA,47 marking a 21% decrease compared to 2024 (60,886). Of this total, 85% arrived by sea, the vast majority of whom on Crete (19,799), and the rest by land (7,582). As reported by UNHCR in 2025,48 a total of 41,696 refugees and asylum-seekers arrived in Greece by sea. The majority are from Afghanistan (10,156, 24%) Sudan (9,104, 22%), Egypt (8,149,(20%), Bangladesh (3,738, 9%) and Syria (1,640, 4%). Among them, 12% are women, 20% children and 68% men. In December 2025, there was an increase in arrivals to the islands with 4,655 people arriving, compared to 2,577 in November. During 2025, the Crete region received the majority of new arrivals, accounting for 47 48 MoMA, Statistics: Consolidated Reports – Overview, December 2025 - International Protection | Appendix A, available at: https://migration.gov.gr/statistika/, Table 1. UNCHR, Operational Data Portal, Mediterranean Situation: Greece, available at: https://bit.ly/3WubNsb 32