NGOs and lawyers who provide legal aid and information to asylum seekers insist that the first-instance asylum interview is superficial, that the right questions are not being asked, that asylum seekers’ claims are routinely rejected, and that the claim is considered to be unfounded if the asylum seekers make any mention of economic reasons.141 “They don’t give you a chance to tell why you left your country,” Efthalia Pappa from the Ecumenical Refugee Program told us.142 Similarly, the main refugee rights organization, the Greek Council for Refugees, said that, besides a lack of resources, one reason why they do not send lawyers to represent children during the first-instance asylum interview is because the first instance procedure was not a meaningful assessment of a person’s claim.143 A UNHCR-commissioned study found that authorities use a pre-written introductory note for the files of asylum seekers. The note includes as a permanent entry that the responsible police officer does not recommend the granting of refugee status. The note was wrongfully included into three files of child asylum seekers for whom the granting of asylum was actually recommended.144 Authorities do not publish a recognition rate for asylum applications by unaccompanied children.145 A UNHCR sponsored study by independent researchers conclude that, depending on the circumstances in the individual case, they could fall under the scope of article 1 A(2) of the 1951 Refugee Convention. 141 See also Human Rights Watch, Greece – Stuck in a Revolving Door, pp. 97-99. A first instance decision whether a person is granted refugee status or subsidiary protection, or denied any form of international protection is made after a first assessment of a person’s claim. If denied refugee status, an asylum seeker may file an appeal to have his or her claim considered at second instance. 142 Human Rights Watch interview with Efthalia Pappa, director Ecumenical Refugee Program, Athens, June 2, 2008. 143 Email correspondence from Alexia Vassiliou, Greek Council for Refugees, to Human Rights Watch, July 14, 2008. A first instance decision, whether a person is granted refugee status or subsidiary protection, or denied any form of international protection, is made after a first assessment of a person’s claim. If denied refugee status, an asylum seeker may file an appeal to have his or her claim considered at second instance .For more information about the Greek asylum system, see Human Rights Watch, Greece – Stuck in a Revolving Door, pp. 86-105. 144 Papageorgiu and Dimitropoulou, Unaccompanied Minors Study, p. 92. The study also found that 10 files of unaccompanied children who filed an asylum application in 2007 and were in possession of the red card contained no information whatsoever. Officials explained that they lagged behind in filing documents. 145 A UNHCR commissioned study contains some data, albeit non-representative: in the second half of 2007, 198 negative first instance decisions were issued to unaccompanied children, among them four 12-year-old children and one 11-year-old boy. It found that asylum was granted at first instance for two children and at second instance for 6 children. See Papageorgiu and Dimitropoulou, Unaccompanied Minors Study, pp. 89-90. Left to Survive 50