“I have issues with how far the camp is from the city. My brother is in the centre of Athens and I have to travel every time to see him. It’s quite a difficult journey and we have to pay for it even though the cash card is so little money. Sometimes there are some buses or cars coming in front of the camp and we can buy some groceries from them, but at least twice a month most of us go to Athens to see a lawyer, buy food or to meet people.” 23 year old man from Somalia, Malakasa camp (iii) Healthcare and psychosocial support 72% of respondents reported that they did not have their basic health care needs met by medical teams operating inside camps 62% reported that they encountered significant difficulties in accessing treatment in hospitals 33% of respondents tried to access psychosocial support during their stay in the camp but were not able to Medical and psychosocial support units in mainland camps are responsible for medical screening, provision of primary health care, referral to secondary health care, identification of cases requiring immediate medical attention, recording of medical histories, and providing special medical care to children, pregnant or breastfeeding women, people with disabilities and those suffering from chronic diseases¹³⁵. These units are staffed by public health employees of Greece’s national health organisation (EODY)¹³⁶. According to guidelines of EASO, medical screenings should be conducted in an adequate and timely manner, arrangements should be in place to ensure that applicants can communicate with medical personnel, and any necessary follow-up actions should be taken following screening¹³⁷. At the end of June 2024, the MoMA terminated the working contracts of some 400 public health workers under the PHILOS programme¹³⁸, which had provided health services in camps run by the RIS, prompting strikes¹³⁹ against precarious working conditions and temporary contracts. Although the Greek government has announced a new health provision programme, Hippokrates¹⁴⁰, promising to provide protection activities, psychosocial services and monitoring of public health¹⁴¹, to date there has been no indication regarding a timeline for the programme’s implementation. Meanwhile, CSOs report¹⁴² that health workers are being phased out in camps and residents are left without access to medical support. According to information provided by UNHCR in April 2024, there was a complete absence of medical services in Sintiki camp at this time, a facility located 6 km from the Greek-Bulgarian border with no public transport connections and 50 km away from the nearest hospital in Serres¹⁴³. Chronic understaffing is widespread in the mainland structures, leading to the inability to provide dignified reception conditions, as highlighted by CSOs¹⁴⁴. As noted by the Ombudsperson¹⁴⁵, healthcare and psychosocial support provided in Greece’s mainland camps falls far short of the authorities legal obligation to protect asylum seekers’ physical and mental health (Art. 59, 4939/2022; Art. 17, 2013/33/EU). Concerningly, interviewees 31