apply for asylum or (re-)register their asylum application. Written leaflets that were previously provided at Athens Airport and, sporadically, at entry points in Evros, are no longer up-to-date nor available in many of the relevant languages and it is not known with certainty in which languages they are still 45 available in practice. Following the adoption of new legislation (Presidential Decree 114/2010 of 22 November 2010) regulating the asylum procedure during a transitional period which began on the date of publication of the aforementioned Presidential Decree and is still on-going, the authorities have announced plans to draft a new information leaflet which is, however, not yet available. Furthermore, the Greek Action Plan on the implementation of the asylum procedure during this transitional period foresees the dissemination and provision of information in various languages on the asylum seekers’ rights and the relevant process. Nevertheless, these provisions have yet to be implemented, as translation and interpretation is generally not available at land, air or sea borders. This prevents effective communication between asylum-seekers and border or other officials, thereby impeding access to the procedure, and the provision by the officials of relevant information, in languages that both parties, in other words, both the authorities and the asylum seeker would be able to fully and not only reasonably, as the law requires, understand. Exceptionally, interpretation services in certain languages have been available in the Evros region, near the border between Greece and Turkey, in the context of the operation conducted by 46 Frontex Rapid Border Intervention Teams (RABITs) between November 2010 and March 2011 and 47 currently in the context of the Poseidon operation that replaced the RABIT operation. However, these interpretation services are aimed at ascertaining information for the purpose of the Frontex operation, specifically regarding nationalities and travel routes. According to UNHCR, these interpretation services have not focused on ascertaining whether those people intercepted are seeking asylum, or on providing them with relevant information on that subject. UNHCR has observed that few people explicitly request asylum in the Evros border area and this is also the experience of GCR. When they do apply for asylum in that area, they face a number of legal and practical impediments. These include prolonged detention, frequently in deplorable conditions, which is used for a significant proportion of persons arriving irregularly. Other obstacles that persons who may wish to apply for asylum are facing include the lack of information, including on their legal situation and entitlements; the lack of legal assistance and the absence of effective communication with people outside the detention centre in general and with their potential lawyers specifically, all of which have a deterrent effect on potential asylum seekers. D. Subsequent applications Indicators: - Does the legislation provide for a specific procedure for subsequent applications? Yes No - Is a removal order suspended during the examination of a first subsequent application? Yes No - Is a removal order suspended during the examination of a second, third, subsequent application? Yes No According to Article 23 Presidential Decree 114/10 where the applicant for international protection lodges a subsequent asylum application, the authorities competent to examine the application, namely 45 46 47 For an example of the information leaflets that should be translated in 14 languages see here. See European Commission, Press Release, Frontex and the RABIT operation at the Greek-Turkish border, Memo/11/130, 2 March 2011. See FRONTEX, RABIT operation 2010 ends, replaced by JO operation Poseidon. 30