In any event, information on reception should take into account the actual available reception capacity,
the availability and accessibility of referral pathways to reception facilities and other services and the legal
obligations imposed on the applicants, i.e., restrictions on movement imposed in the context of the rules
governing the CCACs and broader reception facilities, and the obligation to remain on a given island for
those subject to EU-Türkiye statement.
2. Access to reception centres by third parties
Indicators: Access to Reception Centres
1. Do family members, legal advisers, UNHCR and/or NGOs have access to reception centres?
Yes
With limitations
No
According to Article 60 (2)(b) of the Asylum Code, asylum applicants in reception facilities have the right
to be in contact with relatives, legal advisors, representatives of UNHCR and other certified organisations.
These shall have unlimited access to reception centres and other housing facilities in order to assist
applicants. The Director of the Centre may extend access to other persons as well. Limitations to such
access may be imposed only on grounds relating to the security of the premises and of the applicants.
With the exception of NGOs that are operational within a site and enrolled in the registry of NGOs of the
MoMA, access to temporary accommodation Centres, Reception and Identification Centres and the new
Closed-Controlled Centres is subject to prior official authorisation at the central level, while the Director
of each facility may define more specifics terms and conditions for each relevant visit (e.g., time of visit).
See also Asylum procedure - Access to NGOs and UNHCR.
G.
Differential treatment of specific nationalities in reception
During 2022, there was obvious differential treatment by the State towards Ukrainian refugees and asylum
applicants and refugees from all other countries; a welcoming policy that created a two-tiered reception
system. Immediate access to the labour market and medical care, accommodation and food support;
launch of an online pre-registration platform were all completed by the end of March 2022. For all other
refugees and asylum applicants and also for Ukrainians who were in Greece before 26 November 2022
the situation has not ameliorated: difficulties in accessing the asylum procedure, problematic reception
procedure and provisions of material conditions, and pushback practices remain. 1161 This distinction
continued to apply during 2025.
1161
For the two-tier refugee response, see among others: GCR / OXFAM / Save the Children International,
Greece: A two-tier refugee system, Bi-monthly bulletin, May 2022, available at: https://bit.ly/3OJOetv. GCR/
OXFAM / Save the Children International, Greece: Bimonthly bulletin on Refugees and Migrants, July 2022,
available at: https://bit.ly/3qhFfWx, pp. 12-14.
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