FORGOTTEN
Administratively detained irregular migrants and asylum seekers
ii. Findings
Processing of the asylum application
Our interviews with the detainees and the investigation of their
files revealed that there are not significant delays by the competent
police authorities in the registration of expression of their wish to
apply for asylum.
However, there are delays in the registration and examination of
their applications by the Asylum Service. More specifically:
Delays have been noted in the registration of asylum applications
by the Asylum Unit of Amygdaleza, as an one to three month period is
required from the date of the recording of the person’s will to apply
for asylum until the registration of the application (in the cases that we
investigated the average time was 1,5 months). These delays have also
the side-effect of prolonging detention, as after the submission of the
asylum application, the Asylum Service is the authority competent to
issue a recommendation to the Police regarding detention (in the cases
that the detention has been imposed for the purpose of identity and
nationality verification, or for the prompt and effective examination
of the asylum application). Furthermore, the interview takes place
from approximately two to four months after the registration date,
while the decision is issued after one or two months.
Delays have also been noted in the registration of asylum
applications at the Regional Asylum Office of Patras, which is competent
for the registration of asylum applications of those detained at the
Pre-Removal Detention Center of Corinth46. At the Regional Asylum
Office of Salonica, the registration of the asylum application takes
place in less than 15 days, while the interview is set approximately
one month later.
46 On 28/7/2016, the Asylum Unit of Corinth was established and is currently competent for
receiving and examining international protection applications of the detainees of the Pre-removal
Center of Corinth.
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