4. Number of staff and nature of the first instance authority Name in English Greek Police Number of staff Not available Ministry responsible Is there any political interference possible by the responsible Minister with the decision-making in individual cases by the first instance authority? Ministry of Public Order and Citizen’s Protection Not known 5. Short overview of the asylum procedure A new legal framework reforming the asylum system was adopted in 2011, and created an Asylum Service and an Appeals Committee. However, because of delays in the establishment of the new Asylum Service, the asylum procedure is currently in a ‘transitional phase’ regulated by the Presidential Decree 114/2010. The procedure currently applied is described below. According to the law, asylum seekers can lodge a claim before any Greek authority at entry points, at the border or in the territory, in written or oral form. They may also in any other way ask not to be deported to a country on the grounds of their fear of persecution for reasons of race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group or political opinion according to the Geneva Convention or the risk of suffering serious harm according to Article 15 of P.D 96/2008(O.G A' 152). The police authorities are responsible for examining asylum applications at first instance and they are also responsible for carrying out the Dublin procedure. Applications for international protection shall be examined within the accelerated procedure when they are considered to be manifestly unfounded or when the applicant is a national of a safe country of origin or comes from a safe third country. The accelerated procedure also applies in case the applications for international protection are lodged at the border or at transit zones of ports or airports. The law provides both for the possibility of a first instance appeal before the Appeals Board, which is an administrative body, and an onward appeal before the Administrative Court of Appeals. Asylum seekers have the right to appeal before the Appeals Board against the following decisions: a. a decision rejecting their application for international protection or withdrawing such status in the regular procedure within thirty (30) calendar days after the day of serving of the decision. b. a decision rejecting as manifestly unfounded or as inadmissible their application for international protection in the accelerated procedure, within fifteen (15) calendar days after the day of serving of the decision. c. A decision rejecting their application for international protection lodged at the borders within ten (10) calendar days after the day of serving of the decision. d. a decision rejecting their subsequent asylum application during the preliminary examination stage of the procedure within fifteen (15) calendar days after the day of serving of the decision. In all these cases the appeal before the Appeals Board has automatic suspensive effect. The asylum seeker and the Ministry of Citizen Protection have the right to apply for the annulment of the decision of the Appeals Board before the Administrative Court of Appeals. The latter appeal has no automatic suspensive effect. Only by interim measures before the same court the appellant can demand the suspension of deportation. It is at the discretion of the court to decide on suspension of deportation. The appellant can also ask for the appeal of the Appeals Court decision by a writ of error before the Council of the State. This appeal does not have an automatic suspensive effect. 12