Regarding the Greek mainland, challenges throughout 2024 in accessing asylum, on account of the shortcomings of the MoMA’s newly established online registration system, aside from exposing applicants to the risk of arbitrary detention, also significantly increased the risk of extreme material deprivation for those waiting for their asylum claims to be registered, during which time they lack access to reception conditions.1066 2.4. Racist violence During 2022, the Racist Violence Recording Network (RVRN), coordinated by UNHCR and the Greek National Commission for Human Rights, recorded a total of 74 incidents of racist violence, 33 of which concerned migrants, refugees and asylum applicants on account of their ethnic origin, religion or color. 1067 In the majority of these incidents, the victims were men (27), in 5 the victims were women, while in 1 the victims were both men and women of different ages, including minors. In what concerns main nationalities, most of the victims were from Pakistan (8), followed by nationals of Afghanistan (7) and Palestinians (5), while in terms of their legal status, in the majority of incidents (11) the victims were asylum applicants, in 7 incidents the victims were beneficiaries of international protection and in 9 incidents third country nationals with different legal statuses, including undocumented persons. In 2 incidents the victims had mixed legal statuses, while in 4 the victims were unaccompanied minors. 1068 During the same year, a total of 126 incidents were recorded by the Hellenic Police. In 66 of these incidents, the motive seems to have regarded the victims’ ethnic origin, in 7 cases their genealogical background, in 10 cases their color, in 8 cases their religion, in 9 cases their sexual orientation, in 16 cases their gender identity, and in 7 cases disabilities. The remainder of cases either regarded unspecified motives (10) or other motives (74). 1069 As noted by RVRN,1070 based on the Network’s findings, the main patterns identified in 2022 are “the existence of racism in everyday life, the occurrence of incidents of organised racist violence, albeit to a limited extent, and the targeting of human rights defenders within Greek territory, especially those operating at the borders”, while the Network also recorded incidents in which the perpetrators either wore uniforms or were civil servants. While noting a decrease, compared to previous years, 1071 on the number of incidents of extreme racist violence perpetrated by organised groups, the RVRN also reported an ongoing pattern of under-reporting of racist violence incidents, flagging, in line with its findings of previous years, that “a significant number of victims do not report [such incidents] out of fear of secondary victimisation or re-victimisation”.1072 As identified by RVRN,1073 amongst the factors contributing to this pattern of under-reporting and fear from the victims’ side, while “fueling the feeling of impunity” on the side of perpetrators, is also the significant number of recorded incidents where the perpetrators were identified, by the victims, as “representatives of the state and indeed [from state bodies] with the competence to protect”. Namely, in 20% of incidents recorded in 2022, most of which regarded refugees and migrants, as well as Roma citizens, the perpetrators were identified as uniformed personnel of the Greek security forces, with most incidents taking place at the Greek borders, in reception facilities or detention facilities, including in police precincts. In many of these incidents the level of violence was also particularly high, with victims inter alia reporting being held without clothing or found by human rights defenders handcuffed, in a forest area near the borders, after reportedly being brutally beaten by a group of men in black clothes, with their faces covered, which were carrying weapons and radio equipment. In at least one of these cases, the victim had been the subject of racist-motivated attacks in 2021 as well, when they had asked their 1066 1067 1068 1069 1070 1071 1072 1073 Also see MIT & RLS, Protection Unavailable: Dysfunctional Practices and Restrictions on the Right to Asylum, November 2023, available at: https://tinyurl.com/53xzvpes, particularly pp. 26 et seq; Joint CSO Statement, Shutdown of the Greek Asylum Service: Database Leaves People Unable To Claim Asylum And in Limbo, 21 June 2023, available at: https://tinyurl.com/338z4d59. In another incident the motive seems to have been the victim’s ethnic origin, as much as their sexual orientation, in another one the victims were Greek citizens, targeted on account of their ethnic origin, while in 2 incidents the targets were a mosque and a holocaust memorial. In the reminder of recorded cases (38), the victims were persons of the LGBTQI+ community. RVRN, Annual Report 2022, April 2023, available in Greek at: https://tinyurl.com/27bdrxje, p.5. Ibid. p. 15 Ibid. p. 28. Ibid. p.5. On the reported situation in previous years, inter alia, see AIDA, Country Report Greece: 2022 Update, op.cit., pp. 181-183 and previous relevant reports, available at: https://bit.ly/3OFfA4i. Ibid. p.6. Ibid. p.25. 199