reception with residence in Greece’s reception system, coupled with the termination of ESTIA and systematic application of the “safe third country” concept in cases where provisions of article 38 Directive 2013/32/EU are not fulfilled in practice. The Reception and Identification Service (RIS), operating under the General Secretariat for the Reception of Asylum Applicants of the MoMA, is the responsible authority for the reception of asylum seekers,732 including of unaccompanied minors.733 Following the full handover of “ESTIA” to the MoMA in May 2021,734 the RIS has also been responsible for managing the accommodation programme, in collaboration with implementing partners,735 until the programme was terminated in December 2022. Yet as far as GCR is aware, the RIS had stopped receiving new referrals for accommodation to ESTIA, even for highly vulnerable cases, several months before the programme’s termination. Following the entry into force of the Asylum Code and relevant amendments by L. 4960/2022, the Special Secretary for Unaccompanied Minors (SSUM) of the MoMA remains the competent authority for the protection of UAM, including for the referral and accompaniment of UAM to dedicated accommodation facilities for UAM and the implementation of Guardianship.736 1.1 Temporary accommodation centres In 2016, in order to address the needs of persons remaining in Greece after the imposition of border restrictions along the so-called Western Balkan route, a number of temporary camps were created on the mainland in order to increase accommodation capacity. Article 10 of L. 4375/2016737 provided a legal basis for the establishment of different accommodation facilities. In addition to Reception and Identification Centres,738 the Ministry of Economy and the Ministry of Internal Affairs may, by joint decision, establish open Temporary Reception Facilities for Asylum Seekers (Δομές Προσωρινής Υποδοχής Αιτούντων Διεθνή Προστασία),739 as well as open Temporary Accommodation Facilities (Δομές Προσωρινής Φιλοξενίας) for persons subject to return procedures or whose return has been suspended.740 As of 17 December 2019, the sites for the construction of controlled, open and closed facilities, as well as all facilities, including those intended for the accommodation of unaccompanied minors, throughout the Greek territory, is approved by the newly constituted position of the National Coordinator for the response to and management of the migration-refugee issue (Εθνικός Συντονιστής για την αντιμετώπιση και διαχείριση του μεταναστευτικού – προσφυγικού ζητήματος), following recommendations of the competent services. 741 Following a further amendment in February 2020, the specific competency of the National Coordinator was revoked and replaced with the authority for ‘organising, directing, coordinating and controlling the Unified Border Surveillance Body’ (“Ενιαίο Φορέα Επιτήρησης Συνόρων” or ΕΝ.Φ.ΕΣ)742. Lastly, and amongst others, as per the amendments brought forth by L. 4686/2020, the Ministers of Finance, of Citizen Protection and of Migration & Asylum can decide on the establishment of Closed Temporary Reception Centres and Closed-Controlled Island Centres for 732 733 734 735 736 737 738 739 740 741 742 Article 1(ιστ) Αsylum Code. Article 64 (2) Asylum Code as amended. ECRE, ‘Greece: Hearing Reveals Hostile Environment for Human Rights Defenders, Strategy of Deflection and Denials on Pushbacks Continue, ESTIA Cash Scheme Unravels as Government Takes Over’, 15 October 2021, available at: https://bit.ly/3LmNohy. MoMA, ESTIA Programme, see: https://bit.ly/439SeIj. Article 64 Asylum Code. As in force after replacement with article 29 of L. 4825/2021 regarding reform of deportation and returns procedures, attraction of investors and digital nomads, issues of residence permits and of procedures for granting international protection, provisions of the competence of the MoMA and of the Ministry of Citizen Protection and other urgent provisions. Article 10(1)-(2) L 4375/2016. The article has not been abolished by the IPA and remains the same. Article 10(4) L 4375/2016. The article has not been abolished by the IPA and remains the same. Article 10(5) L 4375/2016. The article has not been abolished by the IPA and remains the same. Article 11 (2)(d) of L. 4650/2019, on the Regulation of Issues pertaining to the Ministry of Defence and other matters is abolished with article 48 of L. 4960/2022 regarding the National Guardianship System and Accommodation Framework for Unaccompanied Minors. Article 190 L. 4662/2020. 159