The number of asylum seekers registered by the Asylum Service as vulnerable in 2023 was not provided, nor was the number and type of decisions taken at first instance on cases of vulnerable applicants. The number of first instance decisions granting refugee status or subsidiary protection to vulnerable applicants in 2023 was not provided either. The only statistical information available for vulnerable persons for 2023 (1 January-31 December 2023) regarded the number of registered children in general and unaccompanied children in particular and the number/type of first and second instance asylum decisions, which is as follows: v the number of registered children in 2023 amounted to a total number of 14,631, thus 23% in a total of 64,212 registered asylum applications.593 v the number of registered unaccompanied children in 2023 amounted to a total number of 2,937 (2.895 registered UAMs for first asylum applications and 42 for subsequent asylum applications), thus 4,3% of a total of 69,043 registered asylum applications. (Note: the number [69,043] of the total registered asylum applications is higher here compared to the relative number of registered asylum applications mentionned above [64,212], because this number [69,043] includes also December 2022, which is not the case for the second number [64,212], which includes data from January – December 2023).594 v the number of 1st and 2nd instance decisions granting refugee status and subsidiary protection to children amounted to a total of 7,557 (7,366 decisions granting refugee status & 191 decisions granting subsidiary protection), thus 29% in a total of 25,813 positive asylum decisions.595 v the number of 1s instance decisions granting refugee status and subsidiary protection to UAMs amounted to a total of 1,163 (1,133 decisions granting refugee status & 30 decisions granting subsidiary protection), of which 902 decisions regarded male UAMs and 261 regarded female UAMs.596 1.1 Screening of vulnerability 1.1.1 Vulnerability identification in the border regions According to the law, the identification of vulnerability of individuals arriving at the border regions shall be carried out either by the RIS before the registration of the asylum application or during the asylum procedure.597 Vulnerability identification by the RIS According to Article 41 Asylum Code regarding registration and medical examination, in the context of reception and identification procedures carried out by the RIS: ‘“The third stage of the reception and identification procedure regarding "Registration and Medical Examination" includes: […]d) the care for those who belong to vulnerable groups, so that they are provided with specialized care and protection. In particular, the Manager of the Reception and Identification Centre (RIC) or the Closed Controlled Access Centre (CCAC) or Unit, acting on a motivated proposal of the competent medical staff of the Reception and Identification Centre or the Closed Controlled Structure, shall refer persons belonging to vulnerable groups to the competent, based on each case, public institution of social support or protection. A copy of the medical screening and psychosocial support file is transmitted to the Head of the institution where the person resides or is being referred. In all cases, the continuity of the medical treatment followed shall be ensured, where necessary. The assessment that a person is vulnerable shall have as only consequence the immediate provision of special reception conditions. 593 594 595 596 597 MomA, Information Note A, December 2023, Reception, Asylum & Integration Procedures, p. 8, available in Greek at: https://tinyurl.com/59d5hubb. Ibid. Ibid., p. 14. Ibid., p. 15. Articles 41 & 80(3) of the Asylum Code for vulnerability identification by RIS and articles 62(5), 72(1, 3), 77(3) and 80(3) for vulnerability identification in the asylum procedure. 129