3: BARRIERS TO ACCESSING THE PROCEDURE This chapter covers the challenges people face obtaining and attending asylum registration appointments at the RICs of Diavata and Malakasa. Respondents reported a number of barriers to accessing the procedure, including lack of information on how to apply, frequent technical issues or unavailability of the online platform for booking appointments, and the remote location of the RICs, leading to challenges relating to the time and cost of travel, and well-founded fears of apprehension and detention. Vulnerable people were impacted by the lack of a standard procedure for identifying and prioritising the registration of their cases. (A) Lack of information on the procedure Respondents reported a lack of information and guidance on the procedure for applying for asylum in Greece. Despite the provisions of Greek law (Art. 39 and Art. 47, 4939/2022), no respondents reported receiving information from Greek authorities regarding how to apply for asylum and their rights and obligations in the procedure. Rather, most applicants received this information from CSOs and their social networks. This finding is corroborated by data collected by UNHCR in 2022-2023,⁴⁹ which evidenced that beneficiaries of international protection primarily received information on their rights in the Greek asylum system from other refugees (43% of respondents), the internet (34%) and CSOs (27%). Chronic lack of information provided by the authorities is a persistent and long-standing issue in the Greek asylum system, reported on by CSOs for several years.⁵⁰ The frequent changes in Greece’s asylum system in recent years was an additional factor contributing to people’s confusion regarding how to access the new procedure. Greek lawyers additionally reported that, for applicants who have been living in Greece for some years, constant changes to the system and persistent dysfunction has eroded trust and motivation to apply. (B) Appointment delays and unavailability 50% of respondents who successfully booked an appointment at a mainland RIC reported a waiting time of two months or more for their registration appointment. Rulings by Greek courts have established that booking an appointment amounts to “making” an asylum application.⁵¹ Consequently, waiting times well exceeded the deadlines laid out in Greek law, which states that the authorities must register claims immediately or at least pre-register within three working days after making (Art. 69(1-2), 4939/2022). The inability to meet deadlines set out in the law for the registration of both first instance and subsequent asylum applications has been a chronic issue in Greece for years. The absolute maximum deadline of 15 days for full registration has been consistently exceeded, including in 20