Table of Contents
Glossary .................................................................................................................................................... 5
List of Abbreviations ............................................................................................................................... 6
Statistics ................................................................................................................................................... 8
Overview of the legal framework .......................................................................................................... 10
Overview of main changes since the previous report update .......................................................... 20
Asylum Procedure ................................................................................................................................. 27
A.
General ....................................................................................................................................... 27
Flow chart ................................................................................................................................. 27
Types of procedures ................................................................................................................ 27
List of authorities that intervene in each stage of the procedure ............................................. 27
Determining authority ............................................................................................................... 27
Short overview of the asylum procedure.................................................................................. 29
B. Access to the procedure and registration .............................................................................. 31
1. Reception and identification procedure.................................................................................... 54
2. Registration of the asylum application ..................................................................................... 69
C. Procedures ................................................................................................................................ 74
1. Regular procedure ................................................................................................................... 74
2. Dublin ....................................................................................................................................... 91
3. Admissibility procedure .......................................................................................................... 102
4. Border procedure (border and transit zones) ......................................................................... 113
5. Fast-track border procedure (Eastern Aegean islands) ......................................................... 115
6. Accelerated procedure ........................................................................................................... 129
D. Guarantees for vulnerable groups ........................................................................................ 132
1. Identification ........................................................................................................................... 132
2. Use of medical reports ........................................................................................................... 147
3. Legal representation of unaccompanied children .................................................................. 149
E. Subsequent applications ....................................................................................................... 151
F.
The safe country concepts .................................................................................................... 157
1. Safe country of origin ............................................................................................................. 157
2. Safe third country ................................................................................................................... 158
3. First country of asylum ........................................................................................................... 169
G. Information for asylum applicants and access to NGOs and UNHCR .............................. 170
1. Provision of information on the procedure ............................................................................. 170
2. Access to NGOs and UNHCR................................................................................................ 172
H. Differential treatment of specific nationalities in the procedure ....................................... 174
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Reception Conditions .......................................................................................................................... 170
A.
Access and forms of reception conditions .......................................................................... 177
Criteria and restrictions to access reception conditions ......................................................... 177
Forms and levels of material reception conditions ................................................................. 179
Reduction or withdrawal of reception conditions.................................................................... 182
Freedom of movement ........................................................................................................... 184
B. Housing .................................................................................................................................... 188
1. Types of accommodation ....................................................................................................... 188
2. Conditions in reception facilities ............................................................................................. 192
C. Employment and education ................................................................................................... 201
1. Access to the labour market................................................................................................... 201
2. Access to education ............................................................................................................... 204
D. Health care ............................................................................................................................... 208
E. Special reception needs for vulnerable groups ................................................................... 210
F.
Information for asylum applicants and access to reception centres ................................ 215
1. Provision of information on reception ..................................................................................... 215
2. Access to reception centres by third parties .......................................................................... 215
G. Differential treatment of specific nationalities in reception ............................................... 215
1.
2.
3.
4.
Detention of Asylum Applicants ......................................................................................................... 217
3