XV. The Asylum Procedure in Greece An asylum seeker in Greece has almost no chance of being granted asylum; Greece’s asylum approval rate at the first instance is almost nonexistent. In 2007, out of 25,111 asylum claims, Greece granted refugee status to eight persons after the first interview, an approval rate of 0.04 percent.230 Appeals of denied cases do not fare much better; the asylum appeals stage has an approval rate of 2 percent.231 While various factors contribute to this outcome, including a lack of legal representation, the inappropriate use of accelerated procedures, and poor interpreters, many of the problems are attributable to an institutional culture that takes a presumptively negative view of asylum seekers. This is because the asylum procedure in Greece is from beginning to end a police matter. Police interviewers do not have sufficient specialized training or independence to conduct proper interviews. When Human Rights Watch asked an Iraqi asylum seeker living in Greece for eight years whether he had taken steps to try to expedite his appeal, he said, “Your question presumes there is a system of law. There is no law. Everything is in the hands of the police.”232 There is a great deal of confusion and misinformation about asylum in Greece. Many people who appear to have strong claims for protection as refugees do not seek asylum. Some decline to seek asylum in Greece because they believe by applying they will spend longer in detention; others think they will not be able to bring family members to join them if they apply; others think a lawyer is needed and they cannot afford one; and many have their heart set on seeking asylum in another European country. Others are classified as asylum seekers who had no intention of applying for asylum. It is indicative of the opaqueness of the system and the superficiality of the initial interviews that a number of red-card holders interviewed by Human Rights Watch had no idea that they were asylum seekers. A 28-year-old Afghan red card holder revealed his ignorance 230 UNHCR, “Position on the Return of Asylum-seekers to Greece,” p. 4. 231 Ibid. 232 Human Rights Watch interview (name withheld, B33), Athens, June 4, 2008. Stuck in a Revolving Door 92