the omission of a personal interview does not adversely affect the in-merits decision on the application, in which the reasons for omitting the interview should be stated. 360 The Asylum Code further provides that, where the interview has been scheduled within 15 days from the lodging of the application and where the applicant is vulnerable, the authorities provide them with reasonable time not exceeding three days to prepare for the interview and obtain counselling. The possibility to request reasonable time is not granted to asylum applicants who are not vulnerable or whose interview has been scheduled more than 15 days after the lodging of the application.361 Under the regular procedure, the interview takes place at the premises of the RAO or remotely, with applicants remaining at the Camp they reside on the designated day, and is conducted by one caseworker, who can be physically present or connect remotely. The personal interview of adult asylum applicants takes place without the presence of the applicant’s family members, unless the competent Asylum Service handler considers their presence necessary.362 Moreover, the personal interview must take place under conditions that ensure confidentiality.363 The person conducting the interviews should be sufficiently qualified to take into account the personal or general circumstances regarding the application, including the applicant’s cultural background. In particular, the interviewer must be trained on the special needs of women, children and victims of violence and torture.364 In case of female applicants, the applicant can request a case worker/interpreter of the same sex. If this is not possible, a note is added to the transcript of the interview. 365 The EUAA’s role in the regular procedure In 2025, the number of interviews carried out by EUAA caseworkers in Greece increased once more, with interviews in the asylum cases of 13,886 applicants compared to 11,973 in 2024. Of these, 85% related to the same 10 citizenships, in particular Afghans (3,680), Syrians (2,096), Egyptians (1,305), Sudanese (1,289), Somalis (1,139), Nepalis (614), Sierra Leoneans (580), Yemenis (478), Palestinians (345), and stateless persons (321).366 The number of concluding remarks issued by EUAA was 604 in 2025, a decrease from 972 in 2024.367 Concluding remarks by the EUAA in 2025 mostly concerned Egyptians (197), Sierra Leoneans (113), stateless persons (45), Sudanese (34) and Guineans (31). 368 Interviews conducted through videoconferencing In GCR’s experience, interviews continued to be conducted through video conferencing in 2025, with either the interviewer or interpreter (or both) participating through digital means. This was particularly the case for applicants residing in mainland camps, who were interviewed without having to leave the camp, as well as in certain RAOs with certain interviewers being based in other RAOs. There have also been some cases where the interview was conducted remotely by phone rather than through video conferencing. 360 361 362 363 364 365 366 367 368 Article 82(9) Asylum Code. Article 82(4) Asylum Code. Article 82(10) Asylum Code. Article 82(11) Asylum Code. Article 82(12)(a) Asylum Code. Article 82(5) Asylum Code. Information provided by the EUAA, 05 March 2026. According to the workflows developed jointly between EUAA and the Greek Asylum Service the drafting of concluding remarks by EUAA caseworkers is no longer required for a large share of cases (those examined on admissibility), while in parallel is has been agreed that for efficiency reasons (as regards EUAA support to first instance processing), EUAA caseworkers will be mainly conducting interviews, and should only draft concluding remarks for a limited number of cases: Information provided by the EUAA, 05 March 2026. Information provided by the EUAA, 05 March 2026. 82