The Asylum Service is responsible for examining applications for international protection and competent to take decisions at first instance. Staffing and capacity Asylum Service: PD 104/2012, as modified by L 4375/2016, provides for Regional Asylum Offices (RAO) to be set up in Attica, Thessaloniki, Thrace, Epirus, Thessaly, Western Greece, Crete, Lesvos, Chios, Samos, Leros and Rhodes. It is possible to establish more than one Regional Asylum Office per region by way of Ministerial Decision for the purpose of covering the needs of the Asylum Service. 13 Further changes were introduced via P.D. 106/2020 (Article 26-31). At the end of April 2024, the Greek Asylum Service (‘GAS’) had a combined staff of 965 persons (permanent and interim staff, EUAA embedded staff).14 In December 2024, the offices registered the following numbers of first-time international protection applications: Regional Asylum Office/Units/Facility RAO Attica RAO Piraeus RAO Alimos AAU Amygdaleza RIC Malakasa AAU for Asylum Applicants under custody AAU Corinth RAO Thessaloniki Sintiki Serres AAU Safe Countries of Origin RIC Diavata RAO Patra AAU Ioannina RIC Fylakio RAO Thrace AAU Paranesti CCAC Lesvos CCAC Samos CCAC Chios CCAC Leros CCAC Kos RAO Crete Rhodes Attica for vulnerable people Thessaloniki for vulenarble people Registrations December 2024 (first time) 61 0 11 51 569 20 3 6 296 30 308 2 3 505 1 2 1,535 1,088 558 712 595 2 4 34 21 Source: MoMA, Statistics, Consolidated Reports - Overview: December 2024 - International Protection | Appendix A, available at: https://migration.gov.gr/en/statistika/, table 7b. EUAA: In April 2016, the law introduced the possibility for the Asylum Service to be assisted by European Asylum Support Office (EASO) personnel “exceptionally” and “in cases where third-country nationals or stateless persons arrive in large numbers”, within the framework of the Fast-Track Border Procedure.15 13 14 15 Article 1(3) L 4375/2016. Info provided by the MoMA as part of its right to reply to the 2023 Update of the present report. Article 60(4)(b) L 4375/2016. 28