B. Employment and education 1. Access to the labour market Indicators: - Does the legislation allow for access to the labour market for asylum seekers? Yes No If applicable, what is the time limit after which asylum seekers can access the labour market Are there restrictions to access employment in practice? Yes No Applicants have access to the labour market under the conditions laid down in Article 4 paragraph 1 (c) of the Presidential Decree 189/1998. Specifically, they need to apply to the Ministry of Labour provided they have a valid asylum seekers’ card -‘pink card’- and provided that the work market for the specific profession has been researched by the Manpower Employment Organization (OAED) and no interest has been demonstrated by a Greek citizen, an EU citizen, or a recognized refugee. Applicants who want to work and fulfil these criteria shall receive a temporary work permit according to Article 4 paragraphs 2 and 3 of the Presidential Decree 189/1998. This temporary work permit is not subject to any fee and expires 30 days after the expiry of the pink card. Further, it is not to be withdrawn during the examination of an applicant’s appeal, until a negative decision on the appeal is served. This priority given to Greek and EU citizens makes it exceptionally difficult for asylum seekers to find employment. This restriction is aggravated in the current context of financial crisis and xenophobia in Greece resulting in a large number of asylum seekers being subjected to extreme poverty due to lack of any financial means. There have been cases where an employer may be requesting to employ a specific asylum seeker but due to this restriction prioritizing Greek and EU citizens, the work permit may not be renewed, posing obstacles to both employers and potential employees. Illegal employment is also a practiced trend asylum seekers resort to with severe repercussions, mainly lack of certain basic social rights which in turn subjects them to further poverty. In case applicants find employment while residing in an Accommodation Centre, they must inform the Director of the Centre. The law does not provide for consequences in case they do not inform the Director. In practice, the time of stay in these centres is very short and there are no instances known to the author where an asylum seeker has found employment while staying there. 2. Access to education Indicators: - Does the legislation provide for access to education for asylum seeking children? Are children able to access education in practice? Yes Yes No No According to Article 9 Presidential Decree 220/2007 the minor children of applicants and applicants who are minors have access to the education system under similar conditions as Greek nationals as long as there is no pending enforceable removal measure against them or their parents. Children of citizens of a third country can enrol at public schools with incomplete documentation if they are: a. granted refugee status by the Greek state, b. come from regions where the situation is dangerous, c. have filed an asylum claim and d. are third country nationals residing in Greece, even if their legal residence has not been settled yet. 45