According to Article 88(3) Asylum Code, an asylum application should be examined “the soonest possible” and, in any case, within six months of lodging, in the context of the regular procedure. This time limit may be extended for a period not exceeding three months, in cases where a large number of third-country nationals or stateless persons simultaneously apply for international protection. In any event, as per the same article, the examination of the application should not exceed 21 months. Where no decision is issued within the maximum time limit fixed in each case, the asylum applicant has the right to request information from the Asylum Service on the timeframe within which a decision is expected to be issued. As expressly foreseen in the Asylum Code, ‘this does not establish an obligation on the part of the Asylum Service to issue a decision within a specific deadline’.350 Applicants who are recognised as refugees are given only an excerpt of the relevant decision, which does not include the decision’s reasoning. According to the Asylum Code, in order for the entire decision to be delivered to the individual recognised as a beneficiary of international protection, a special legitimate interest (ειδικό έννομο συμφέρον) must be proven.351 Duration of procedures The extent to which delays in the procedure observed in the previous years are still pertinent in 2025 is not possible to assess, as data on the duration of the procedure at first instance is not published by the MoMA, nor was it provided following GCR’s relevant request for information. That being said, ongoing delays of months and in some cases of even more than a year in the conduct of asylum interviews on account of gaps in the provision of interpretations services were reported in Malakasa RIC and Ritsona camp as well as most Regional Asylum Offices and Asylum Units in mainland Greece in 2024 and 2025. The same gaps also impacted on applicants’ ability to communicate their needs with the camp’s and the asylum service’s staff.352 1.2. Prioritised examination and fast-track processing The Asylum Code sets out two forms of prioritised examination of asylum applications. Firstly, the Asylum Service shall process “by way of absolute priority”, claims concerning: (a) Applicants undergoing reception and identification procedures who do not comply with an order to be transferred to another reception facility, if their non-compliance hinders the smooth completion of the examination procedure;353 (b) Applicants who are detained.354 In accordance with Articles 46(c) and 50(8) Asylum Code, processing by way of “absolute priority” means the examination procedure needs to be concluded within 20 days, albeit Articles 42(γα) and 88(7) Asylum Code, both of which cite the preceding articles, mention a 15-day deadline for the same purpose, highlighting an inconsistency in the law. Secondly, the law provides that an application may be registered and examined by way of priority for persons who:355 350 351 352 353 354 355 Article 88(6) Asylum Code. Article 74(6) Asylum Code. RSA, Huge deficiencies in the provision of interpretation services in Greece, Asylum interviews are no longer even being conducted, 5 November 2024, available here. See also: Civil Society Organizations Open Letter to the Minister of Migration and Asylum and the Minister of Health, Put an end to the disruption of interpretation services still undermining asylum seekers’ rights in Greece, 1 November 2024, available here. Article 46(c) Asylum Code Article 50 (8) Asylum Code. Articles 38(2) and 88(7) Asylum Code. 80