On 13 July 2022, the new Asylum Service registration platform was launched and since that date any appointment for lodging an asylum application in the mainland, even for vulnerable asylum seekers, needs to be booked through the platform. According to the Ministry’s announcement461, the registration of applicants staying in Southern Greece was to take place in the facility of Malakasa while the registration of applicants staying in Northern Greece would take place in the facility of Diavata. Appointments were available from 1 September 2022. However, in practice, appointments were available several months later, depending on the language of the applicant. According to the law, when indications or claims of past persecution or serious harm arise, the Asylum Service should refer the applicant for a medical and/or psychosocial examination, which should be conducted free of charge and by qualified, specialised personnel. Otherwise, the applicant must be informed that they are eligible to such examinations at their own initiative and expense.462 However, Article 77(2) of the Asylum Code provides that ‘Any results and reports of such examinations are deemed as justified by the Asylum Service where it is established that the applicant’s allegations of persecution or serious harm are likely to be well-founded’. Currently, there are no public health structures specialised in identifying or assisting torture survivors in their rehabilitation process. As a result, it is for the NGOs running relatively specialised programmes, to handle the identification and rehabilitation of victims of torture. This is rather problematic for reasons that concern the sustainability of the system, as NGOs’ funding is often interrupted. In Athens, torture survivors may be referred for identification purposes to Metadrasi in the context of the programme “VicTorious: Identification and Certification of Victims of Torture”. However, those referrals take place mostly by other NGOs. Also, according to Article 62(5) of the Asylum Code “In case the competent Authorities identify victims of human trafficking, they are obliged to inform the National Referral Mechanism (NRM) for the identification and referral of victims of Human Trafficking as soon as possible 463 in accordance with Articles 76 and 79 L. 4781/2021”. As far as GCR is aware, during 2022 the Asylum Service did not refer any case for further vulnerability assessment neither to EODY nor to any public entity. 1.2 Age assessment of unaccompanied children by the RIS and in the asylum procedure On 13 August 2020 the Joint Ministerial Decision 9889/2020 464 entered into force, which sets out a common age assessment procedure both in the context of reception and identification procedures and the asylum procedure. Article 41 (f) of the Asylum Code related to reception and identification procedures refers to the relevant legislation; i.e. JMD 9889/2020. According to Article 1(2) JMD 9889/2020, in case of doubt of the person’s age, i.e. when the authority’s initial assessment is not consistent with the person’s statements 465, the RIS or the Asylum Service or any authority/organisation competent for the protection of minors or the provision of healthcare or the Public Prosecutor should inform – at any point of the reception and identification procedures or the asylum procedure – the Manager of the RIC or the Facility of temporary reception/hospitality, where the individual resides, or the Head of RIS or the Asylum Service -if the doubt arises for the first time during the personal interview for the examination of the asylum application-, who, acting on a motivated decision, is obliged to refer the individual for age assessment. Age assessment is 461 462 463 464 465 MOMA, «Ξεκινά η λειτουργία της πλατφόρμας ηλεκτρονικής αίτησης για ραντεβού καταγραφής αιτούντων άσυλο», 2022, available at: https://bit.ly/3S76tJ6 Article 77(3) Asylum Code Office Of The National Rapporteur On Trafficking In Human Beings, https://bit.ly/3rVPLxB. Joint Ministerial Decision 9889/2020, Gov. Gazette 3390/Β/13-8-2020. See Article 1(3) JMD 9889/2020. 112