The present note analyses official data on return, deportation and immigration detention in Greece in the first half of 2025, supplied by the Greek authorities in reply to parliamentary questions.1 The figures confirm yet again a continuation of the arbitrary and systematic use of deportation and detention against refugees and migrants, even for countries where returns are neither permitted nor feasible in practice e.g. Afghanistan or Sudan. Registered arrivals in Greece According to official statistics of the Greek authorities, a total of 25,799 people arrived in Greece throughout the first six months of the year. Of those, 15,131 arrived via Evros and the Eastern Mediterranean and 10,668 via the Central Mediterranean. Greek law states that persons arriving or present in the country without documentation must be immediately referred to the Reception and Identification Service (RIS) of the Ministry of Migration and Asylum for screening, prior to being channelled into asylum or return procedures.2 The Hellenic Police explicitly concedes that “all – almost – foreigners entering our country make an asylum application during the reception and identification procedure”.3 Throughout the same period, the RIS registered a total of 20,049 people in screening procedures: 2,700 in Evros, 9,486 in the Closed Controlled Access Centres (CCAC) on the Eastern Aegean islands and 7,863 in Reception and Identification Centres (RIC) the mainland. The main countries of origin of persons registered by the RIS in screening procedures were Afghanistan (6,003), Egypt (3,443) and Sudan (2,075). Over 50% of screenings concerned nationals of those three countries. Return procedures The Hellenic Police took a total of 11,402 decisions ordering removal from Greece during the first half of 2025. Of those, 4,962 were return decisions pursuant to L 3907/2011 transposing the Return Directive.4 This instrument was recently repealed and replaced by L 5226/2025.5 Another 6,440 were deportation decisions under L 3386/2005,6 in derogation from the Return Directive. This means that the majority of removal orders continue to be taken by the Hellenic Police in derogation from the Return Directive. We reiterate that police authorities systematically flout EU law by indiscriminately issuing deportation orders against newly arrived people who seek asylum and are thereby entitled to remain in Greece.7 The figures show that the main countries of origin of persons subject to 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Hellenic Parliament, Στοιχεία διοικητικής κράτησης και απελάσεων μεταναστών και αιτούντων άσυλο, available here. Article 38(1) Greek Asylum Code, L 4939/2022, Gov. Gazette A’ 111/10.06.2022. Hellenic Police Directorate, Reply to parliamentary question, 7017/4/27283-στ΄, 1 April 2025, available here; 7017/4/26888-γ΄, 13 August 2024, available here. Gov. Gazette A’ 7/26.01.2011. Gov. Gazette A’ 154/08.09.2025. Gov. Gazette A’ 212/23.08.2005. RSA, Νομοσχέδιο επιστροφών εκτός νομιμότητας και αποτελεσματικότητας, July 2025, 5, available here; New Pact on Migration and Asylum: Impermissible regression of standards for asylum seekers, July 2024, 21-22, available here; Persisting systematic detention of asylum seekers in Greece, June 2022, available here. RSA POLICY NOTE │ IMMIGRATION DETENTION | SEP 2025 2