11 I. Introduction Overview of Migration and Refugee Policy on the Greek Islands manage increasing inflows of migration. “Hotspots” – or a Reception and Identification Centre (RIC)–serve as the initial reception point for asylum seekers arriving to the EU’s external Although quarantine emerged as a response to borders. 1 In these “Hotspots”, the European the COVID-19 pandemic, it must be understood Commission and relevant EU agencies provide in the broader context of migration and refugee Member States with administrative and opera- policies at the EU’ external borders. Over the tional support, respectively, to manage dispro- years, these policies have taken on an increas- portionate migratory pressures. There are ingly hard-line and restrictive approach, in currently five Hotspots in Greece, on the Eastern which reception and processing centres have Aegean islands of Lesvos, Chios, Samos, Leros, transformed into detention centres, and the and Kos. After the EU-Turkey Statement entered Greek islands have played a central role in into force on March 20, 2016, the Greek “EU Greece and the EU’s containment and externalisation policies. This section provides an overview on the general situation in Greece regarding migration and introduces the measures and policies taken with respect to COVID-19. The situation on the “EU Hotspot” Hotspots” transformed from centres meant to swiftly register and identify asylum seekers into mechanisms for implementing returns to Türkiye. In the words of the European Commission, “the hotspots have been adapted to facilitate Chios falls in direct line with the Greek and Eu- swift returns to Turkey from the islands”2. Un- ropean policies when it comes to shielding the der the EU-Turkey Statement, Türkiye agreed to EU from migration and illegalized entries. The accept irregular migrants from the Greek is- completely dissociated quarantine practice on lands and in exchange the EU agreed to provide Chios from the general policies regarding financial support for refugees in Türkiye and to COVID-19 in Greece only contributes to the seg- resettle one Syrian refugee for every migrant re- regation and disenfranchisement of asylum turned from Greece. Notably, very few migrants seekers – which can only be considered as inten- have actually been returned on the basis that tional. Türkiye is to be considered a safe third country as foreseen in the EU-Turkey Statement, and 1. History of "Hotspots" In May 2015 the European Commission established the “Hotspot” approach at EU borders to Türkiye has not accepted any returns since March 2020. 3 Notwithstanding such practical failures, Greece historically forbade asylum 1 European Commission, European Agenda on Migration, COM (2015) 240, 13 May 2015, available at: t.ly/rAoxQ (all sites have been last visited at: xx.12.2022). 2 European Commission, Second Report on the progress made in the implementation of the EU-Turkey Statement, COM (2016) 349 final, p. 6, available at: t.ly/JEFm. 3 From April 2016 to 31 March 2020, 2140 individuals had been returned to Türkiye, of which, 801 in 2016, 683 in 2017, 322 in 2018, 195 in 2019 and 139 in 2020. In total, between 21 March 2016 and 31 March 2020, Syrian nationals account for 404 persons (19%) of those returned. 43 of them have been returned on the basis that their asylum claims were found inadmissible at second instance, based on the “safe third country” concept. Moreover, of all those returned, 23% did not express a will to apply for asylum or withdrew their asylum applications in Greece; available at: https://asylumineurope.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/AIDA-GR_2020update.pdf, page 42. ‘Quarantine of Asylum Seeker’ – A legal classification of the quarantine practice on Chios