Vulnerability identification by the RIS According to Article 41 Asylum Code regarding registration and medical examination, in the context of reception and identification procedures carried out by the RIS: “The third stage of the reception and identification procedure regarding "Registration and Medical Examination" includes: […] d) the care for those who belong to vulnerable groups, so that they are provided with specialized care and protection. In particular, the Manager of the Reception and Identification Centre (RIC) or the Closed Controlled Access Centre (CCAC) or Unit, acting on a motivated proposal of the competent medical staff of the Reception and Identification Centre or the Closed Controlled Structure, shall refer persons belonging to vulnerable groups to the competent, based on each case, public institution of social support or protection. A copy of the medical screening and psychosocial support file is transmitted to the Head of the institution where the person resides or is being referred. In all cases, the continuity of the medical treatment followed shall be ensured, where necessary. The assessment that a person is vulnerable shall have as only consequence the immediate provision of special reception conditions. According to Article 80 (3) of the Asylum Code regarding applications of UAMs: ‘In case of doubt, the competent Receiving Authorities shall refer the unaccompanied minor to the age assessment procedures as per the provisions in force. In cases the above-mentioned referral is considered necessary and until the completion of the procedure, special attention should be paid to the particular characteristics of the minor, especially those related to their gender or cultural peculiarities’ (see below). Based on data published by the MoMA, the number of those registered as vulnerable by the RIS at the borders throughout 2024 stood as follows:669 Vulnerability category Number of persons Unaccompanied minors 3,810 Single parent families with minor children 3,200 Victims of Torture 2,181 Persons with serious illnesses 716 Pregnant women – postpartum women 556 Persons with disabilities 381 Separated Minors 293 Elderly persons (>65) 209 Victims of human trafficking 136 Persons with intellectual and mental disabilities 103 Immediate relatives of shipwreck survivors 43 Total 11,628 In Greece, in 2024, through vulnerability assessments for residents in the reception facilities in the context of support to first and second-line reception, EUAA staff identified 10,608 persons as presenting vulnerability indicators.670 The number of persons identified as vulnerable after conclusion of the reception and identification procedures and the number of persons identified as vulnerable after re-examination was not available. Moreover, no information was provided regarding the competent authority to cover the expenses in cases where transfer to another island was necessary for the vulnerability assessment. The low quality of the process of medical and psychosocial screening, if any, has remained a source of serious concern also in 2024. As stated in AIDA report for 2022,671 vulnerabilities are often missed, with 669 670 671 Source: MoMA, Registered Third-country nationals/stateless persons in Regional Units (CCAC / RIC) of Islands and Fylakio of the RIS for the year 2024, available at: https://migration.gov.gr/statistika/. Information provided by the EUAA, 14 March 2025. ECRE, AIDA, Country Report: Greece, 2022 Update, June 2023, available at: https://bit.ly/3PUOVk9. 134