Page 16 of 46 protection and assistance to refugees, asylum seekers, and other persons of concern. Authorities also worked with the European Asylum Support Office. Undocumented individuals waiting to register in the asylum system were informed of their rights and asylum procedures. The International Organization for Migration (IOM) assisted voluntary return programs. Access to Asylum: The law provided for the granting of asylum or refugee status. The government had a system of providing protection to refugees through an autonomous asylum service and an appeals authority under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Migration and Asylum. Tight deadlines guided each step, and missed deadlines could result in a negative asylum or refugee determination and a deportation order. NGOs said persistent glitches in the Ministry of Migration and Asylum’s online platform caused applicants delays receiving protection and care. International organizations, NGOs, and media outlets continued to argue that pushbacks denied potential asylum seekers access to vulnerability assessments and to the asylum process more broadly. Abuse of Refugees and Asylum Seekers: There were reports of physical abuse and violence by members of the Hellenic Police and Coast Guard against migrants and asylum seekers during pushback operations. In its January interim report, the Recording Mechanism of Incidents of Informal Forced Returns, a body convened under the National Commission for Human Rights and composed of several NGOs with oversight by UNHCR, recorded 50 such incidents between April 2020 and October 2022 affecting Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 2023 United States Department of State • Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor