Detention of Asylum Seekers A. General Indicators: General Information on Detention 1162 1. Total number of asylum seekers detained in pre-removal centres in 2025: 3,280 2. Number of asylum seekers in administrative detention at the end of 2025: 5931163 3. Number of pre-removal detention centres: 7 4. Total capacity of pre-removal detention centres: 3,496 Law 4939/2022 (Asylum Code), in force since 10 June 2022, foresees extensive provisions on the detention of asylum applicants and significantly less guarantees during the imposition of detention measures against asylum applicants, following previous legislative amendments. In practice, the legal framework threatens to undermine the principle that detention of asylum applicants should only be applied exceptionally and as a measure of last resort. 1164 Moreover, significant amendments have been introduced by L. 5226/2025, adopted by the Parliament in September 2025 which also affected the detention of persons seeking asylum. L. 5226/2025 is the national legal framework transposing the Return Directive (replacing the previous L. 3907/2011). Inter alia L. 5226/2025: ❖ Increased the maximum detention time limits of those under removal procedure up to 24 months, contrary to the EU Return Directive and successively to the maximum detention time limits of asylum seekers procedure up to 24 months. Thus following the amendment introduced by L. 5226/2025 the total detention period of a third country national within the migration context may reach 48 months (24 months while in the asylum procedure + 24 months in view of removal). ❖ Introduced the criminalisation of “irregular stay” and disproportionally increased penal sanction provided for irregular entry or exit. According to the new law the offences of irregular entry, exit and stay by a term of imprisonment of at least two years. The imprisonment sentence may only be suspended if the person declares their intention to immediately leave the territory. Even where the sentence is suspended, convicted persons continue to be detained in prisons or in preremoval detention facilities of the Hellenic Police until they depart from Greece. As stated by UNHCR, “these measures risk penalizing persons in need of international protection or whose international protection needs have not yet been assessed”, contrary to Article 31 of the Geneva Convention.1165 Statistics on detention1166 In 2025, a total number of 22,520 detention orders have been issued following a removal decision (return/deportation decision), marking a 17.6% increase compared to the previous year (total of 19,148 detention orders). In addition, a total number of 3,280 asylum seekers have been detained in pre-removal detention centers (PRDCs) during the year, a decrease of 36.5% compared to 2024 (5,167). 1167 1162 1163 1164 1165 1166 1167 Information provided by the Directorate of the Hellenic Police, 6 March 2026 Total number of asylum seekers under administrative detention in pre-removal detection centers on 31 December 2025. See AIDA Report on Greece, 2024 for a more detailed presentation. UNHCR Comments on the Draft Law of the Ministry of Migration and Asylum, 29 August 2025, https://www.unhcr.org/gr/en/unhcr-comments-draft-law, see more on the new Legislation voted in September 2025, https://gcr.gr/en/news/item/nea-apo-to-pedio-8/. Information provided by the Directorate of the Hellenic Police, 16 January 2025. Information provided by the Directorate of the Hellenic Police, 6 March 2026 235