METHODOLOGY Mobile Info Team and Refugee Legal Support carried out research between May and October 2023 with the aim of understanding and documenting the impact of the introduction of mandatory reception and identification procedures in mainland Greece, following the designation of Diavata and Malakasa as RICs in September 2022. This report is based on qualitative interviews with 19 people who applied for asylum in Greece between September 2022 and August 2023. While our focus was the policy changes leading to the establishment of two mainland RICs in September 2022, a number of respondents had arrived in Greece prior to 2022, with 42% arriving between 2016-2021, and had not been successful in applying for asylum through the previous Skype system. The findings therefore reflect longer-term restrictions on access to asylum in mainland Greece. Additional quantitative research was undertaken primarily by Forge for Humanity, with the support of MIT and RLS between September 2022 and July 2023. This larger data set documented the waiting times for appointments at the RIC of Malakasa for 105 applicants, primarily young single men without recognised vulnerabilities. Supplementary data was collected through an analysis of more than 70 of MIT’s case files for applicants of international protection applying through the new system. Further qualitative data on the impact of the new system was gathered through interviews with six legal practitioners and two protection workers. Different methods were employed to recruit interview participants. RLS primarily drew on existing relationships with clients who had undergone the procedure at Malakasa RIC or attempted to enter the procedure via the online platform or after being transferred by the authorities from camps on the mainland. The firm basis of trust built through previous in-person meetings enabled RLS to access harder to reach groups for interviews - including women and people with vulnerabilities. MIT primarily recruited participants through posting Facebook adverts asking if individuals had attempted to register at Malakasa or Diavata RIC and would like to share their experiences for research. Adverts were posted over a period of one month in Arabic, Urdu, Farsi, English and French, and respondents were invited to proactively contact MIT via a WhatsApp research hotline. This method allowed us to reach a wider pool of people who had not previously been assisted by MIT or RLS. 47% of respondents were young single men who registered at Malakasa RIC. This demographic is reflective of the people who engage with MIT’s digital platforms. Across the sample group the gender split was 84% men and 16% women, and respondents came from the following countries: Iraq, Syria, Egypt, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Algeria, Mauritania, Iran and Sudan. Ages ranged from 22-55 with an average age of 31 across genders. Five people had a recognised vulnerability and four respondents underwent the procedure with their child(ren). 10