journalists covering refugee issues often face abusive lawsuits (SLAPPs) in the course of their profession, and they are frequently subjected to verbal attacks or hate speech from official state entities or private individuals, with the tolerance of state authorities. Finally, the case of a journalist who was placed under surveillance was mentioned by the National Intelligence Service, due to what is stated, as a result of his journalistic involvement with refugee issues”. The GNCHR, in its statement which was also communicated for information to the Prosecutor's Office of the Supreme Court, urgently calls on the State: ❖ to show zero tolerance for phenomena of harassment, attacks, hate speech, and any other targeting of human rights defenders by official state authorities, adopting a coherent policy to prevent them ❖ Ensure a favourable environment (enabling environment) through the legal framework for the functioning of civil society organisations and other human rights defenders, taking due account of the repeated recommendations of international and European bodies. ❖ Refrain from prosecuting organisations or other categories of human rights defenders for providing humanitarian aid to third-country nationals or for exercising their profession (e.g., lawyers, journalists). For those already facing criminal proceedings, ensure their rights and a swift trial in accordance with the guarantees of Article 6 of the ECHR. Specifically, for lawyers, harmonise their treatment by the relevant state authorities in accordance with the recommendations of the Athens Bar Association. It is noted that the abuse of criminal proceedings constitutes an impermissible measure for "limiting" the activities of civil society organisations. State sanctions of a criminal or civil nature, which have a punitive character and aim to discourage individuals from participating in associations (freedom of association), constitute reprisals and are prohibited. ❖ Ensure the unhindered exercise of journalistic duties and take protective and compensatory measures for victims of "strategic lawsuits against public participation" (SLAPPs), in the context of the relevant European Commission Recommendation. Public officials must refrain from initiating such lawsuits. . Legal access to the territory (beyond family reunification) Legal gateways to enter Greece are not provided to persons in need of international protection, nor does Greece issue visas on humanitarian grounds. The only exception was in 2021, when Greece accepted 819 Afghan nationals due to ‘the country’s commitment to provide humanitarian assistance to Afghan nationals in danger’ following the Taliban’s arrival to power. 188 2. Reception and identification procedure 2.1. The European Union policy framework: ‘hotspots’ The “hotspot approach” was first introduced in 2015 by the European Commission in the European Agenda on Migration, as an initial response to the exceptional flows of refugee arrivals to the EU. 189 Its adoption was part of the immediate action to assist Member States which were facing disproportionate migratory pressures at the EU’s external borders and was presented as a solidarity measure. The initial objective of the “hotspot approach” was to assist Italy and Greece by providing comprehensive and targeted operational support, so that the latter could fulfil their obligations under EU law and swiftly identify, register and fingerprint incoming migrants, channel asylum seekers into asylum procedures, implement the relocation scheme and conduct return operations. 190 In order to achieve this goal, EU Agencies, namely the EUAA (previously EASO), Frontex, Europol and Eurojust, worked alongside the Greek authorities within the hotspots. 191 The hotspot approach was also expected to contribute to the implementation of the temporary relocation scheme, proposed by the European Commission in September 2015.192 Therefore, hotspots were envisaged initially as reception and registration centres, where Greek authorities, with the support of EU Agencies would “swiftly identify, register and fingerprint incoming migrants”, following which “[t]hose claiming asylum [would] be immediately channelled into an asylum procedure”.193 Interestingly, at the time, nowhere was it specified 188 189 190 191 192 193 MoMA, Press release, 23 November 2021, available in Greek at: https://bit.ly/3yzVCzV. European Commission, European Agenda on Migration, COM(2015) 240, 13 May 2015, available at: https://bit.ly/3TrnbG3. Ibid. Ibid. European Commission, Council Decisions (EU) 2015/1523 of 14 September 2015, OJ 2015, L239/146 and 2015/1601 of 22 September 2015 establishing provisional measures in the area of international protection for the benefit of Italy and Greece, OJ 2015, L248/80, available at: https://bit.ly/43T44rt. European Commission, European Agenda on Migration, COM(2015) 240, op.cit. p. 6. 54