Α. Administrative procedures and problems vices with staff and resources remains45 a critical issue for the rational management of mixed flows and for the implementation of the screening in full in order to identify persons belonging to vulnerable groups and requiring special care. 3. Shortcomings in the appropriate handling of unaccompanied minors 3.1. Identification According to UNHCR figures, apof unaccompanied proximately 38% of incoming third -country nationals only during the minors January-August 2016 period were minors,46 whereas in March 2017, according to the updated statement by the same agency,47 the estimated number of unaccompanied48 minors in the country amounted to 2100. The estimate of this number is based on the analysis of the referrals to accommodation centers of the National Centre for Social Solidarity (EKKA). In 2015 there were 2248 requests in total to EKKA for referral to accommodation centers, compared to 2390 requests submitted in 2014, although as mentioned above, the number of new arrivals in Greece was nearly elevenfold in 2015 compared to the previous year.49 Finally, during the first months of 2017, it is claimed50 that there was a relative increase of the arrivals of unaccompanied minors through the land borders with Turkey. In 2014 there were 451 asylum applications submitted in total by unaccompanied minors, in 2015 and 2016 the applications were 420 and 2,352 respectively, while during 45 As regards First Reception staffing and coordination issues during 2016 and up to the first quarter of 2017 see below chapter E.1. 46 See statistics of UNHCR Mapping of unaccompanied children at https:// data2.unhcr.org/en/documents/download/50768. Moreover, according to the Biannual Report of Actions and Findings July-December 2016 of the Mechanism for Monitoring the Rights of Children on the move in Greece, drawn up by the Children’s Ombudsman in cooperation with UNICEF, for 2016, the total number of children that arrived is estimated at approximately 64,000, with 37% of new arrivals being children, whereas 17% of the total children arriving are unaccompanied. 47 Updated UNHCR status at https://data2.unhcr.org/en/documents/ download/54239 48 As unaccompanied minors we also consider minors who are not accompanied by their parents or persons with parental care, but by relatives (separated). 49 Introductory note of the Service for the management of Accommodation Applications of Asylum Seekers and Unaccompanied Minors of the National Center of Social Solidarity (EKKA) that attributes the fact to the registration problems presented in 2015 http://www.ekka.org.gr/portal_docs/forceaccount/ picture/25_1072.pdf. 50 See op. cit. Biannual Report. 24 January-February 2017 there have been 440 asylum applications by unaccompanied minors.51 Apart from the problems listed below regarding access to asylum and family reunification of the general population, especially for unaccompanied minors, the absence of a guardian is an additional difficulty, since they lack the necessary care and guidance. Unaccompanied minors live:52 a) within the Reception and identification centers (RICs), under a regime of relative freedom (VIAL in Chios, Pyli in Kos, Leros and Samos), or restriction of freedom with or without possibility of daily exit (Moria in Lesvos and Fylakio in Evros), with the purpose of their registration and identification, as well as their protection until their referral to Accommodation Centers or “safe spaces”, that is places of temporary and supervised accommodation; b) Open Temporary Accommodation Facilities of Article 10(5) of Law 4375/201653 c) in Accommodation Centers for Unaccompanied Minors54 and d) in safe spaces within the Open Temporary Accommodation Facilities. It is a known fact that the majority of third-country nationals entering the country mainly from its east borders, lack any documentation, which gives rise to serious problems, inter alia, in the identification of unaccompanied minors. Today, after enforcement of Joint Ministerial Decision 1982/2016 (Government Gazette, series Β, No. 335/2016) and Ministerial Decision G.P.oik. 92490/2013 (Government Gazette, series Β, No. 2745/2013), that instituted programs for the medical check, psychosocial diagnosis and support, in relation to third-country nationals arriving without documentation in first reception facilities the former, and asylum seekers the latter, the age of unaccompanied minors is verified through a three-phase procedure. The verification of minority age at the first phase, excludes the second one, and so forth, making the medical The issue of age verification 51 See Statistical data of Asylum Service (7.6.2013 – 28.2.2017) http://asylo. gov.gr/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/Greek_Asylum_Service_Statistical_Data_ GR.pdf 52 Cases of administrative detention are examined below. 53 See Ombudsman’s on-site inspection on 9.1.2017 at the Open Temporary Accommodation Facility in Skaramangas, where there were 110 unaccompanied minors, with 40 separated ones among them. 54 The term Accommodation Centers is used, because it is mentioned by EKKA for the placement of minors in accommodation spaces, in contrast to the term Open Temporary Accommodation Facilities that refers to the facilities of Article 10(4) and (5) of Law 4375/2016. The UNHCR accommodation facilities for unaccompanied minors fall under this category.