In June 2016, a subsequent amendment to the national legislation explicitly provided the possibility for the asylum interview within that procedure to be conducted by an EASO caseworker. 16 The IPA has maintained this option, and has inserted the possibility for fast-track border procedure and admissibility interviews to be conducted by personnel of the Hellenic Police or the Armed Forces in particularly urgent circumstances.17 Since May 2018, Greek-speaking EASO personnel could also assist the Asylum Service in the Regular Procedure. Greece has received operational support by the EASO/EUAA since 2011. The 2022-2024 operational plan was amended three times, with the latest amendment in April 2024 to take into account changes in the organisational structures of Greece authorities and the operational context, notably in light of ‘’the increased arrivals and persisting pressure on the national asylum and reception system since after the second quarter of 2023”.18 At the request of the Greek authorities, in December 2024, the EUAA and Greece agreed on an operational plan for 2025 with continued support with regard to asylum procedures, reception and temporary protection.19 In 2024, the EUAA deployed 601 experts in Greece, 20 most of which were temporary agency workers (590). The majority of these experts were caseworkers (75), registration/administrative/information provision personnel (66), case management reception assistants (58), registration assistants (58), site management reception assistants (54), IM assistants (24), CIP reception assistants (21) and reception assistants (20) and a series of other programme and support staff (e.g., field support officers, vulnerability assistants, training support officers, Dublin experts, etc.).21 As of 11 December 2024, there were a total of 498 EUAA experts present in Greece, 53 of which were case management reception assistants, 50 caseworkers, 47 site management reception assistants, 47 registration/administrative/information provision personnel, and 36 registration assistants.22 In 2024, the EUAA delivered 204 training sessions to a total of 1,313 local staff members. 23 5. Short overview of the asylum procedure The asylum procedure in Greece underwent substantial reforms throughout 2016, many of which were driven by the adoption of the EU-Türkiye statement of 18 March 2016. Following the July 2019 elections, the new government announced a more restrictive policy on migration and asylum.24 As a result, the national asylum legislation was radically re-amended. L. 4636/2019 (hereinafter International Protection Act / IPA), was adopted on 1 November 2019 and entered into force on 1 January 2020, replacing the previous legislation on asylum and reception. The IPA has been repeatedly and heavily criticised by national and international human rights bodies, including the Greek Ombudsperson,25 the Greek National Commission for Human Rights (GNCHR),26 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 Article 60(4)(b) L 4375/2016, as amended by Article 80(13) L 4399/2016. Articles 77(1) and 90(3)(b) IPA. EUAA, Operational Plan 2022-2024 agreed by the European Union Agency for Asylum and Greece – Amendment 3, 29 April 2024, available here. EUAA, Operational plan 2025 agreed by the European Union Agency for Asylum and Greece, December 2024, available here. EUAA personnel numbers do not include deployed interpreters by the EUAA in support of asylum and reception activities. Information provided by the EUAA, 14 March 2025. In the figures above, the same persons may have been included under different profiles, if a change in profile took place in the course of 2024. Information provided by the EUAA, 14 March 2025. Information provided by the EUAA, 14 March 2025. Amnesty International, Annual Report 2019, Greece, available at: https://bit.ly/2LDT5L6. Greek Ombudsman, Παρατηρήσεις στο σχέδιο νόμου του Υπουργείου Προστασίας του Πολίτη περί διεθνούς προστασίας, 23 October 2019, available in Greek at: https://bit.ly/2LAxCCH. GNCHR, Παρατηρήσεις της ΕΕΔΑ στο Σχέδιο Νόμου του Υπουργείου Προστασίας του Πολίτη «Περί Διεθνούς Προστασίας’, 24 October 2019, available in Greek at: https://bit.ly/3KPLpnH. 29