Procedures followed on the islands amid the COVID-19 outbreak In 2023, Greece had waived all the COVID-19 restrictive measures. However, it should be noted that in certain cases, newcomers were, at least until the end of March 2023, the only population group still subject to mandatory COVID-19 quarantine upon arrival in Greece for at least five days.244 Actors present in the RIC and CCACI In addition to civil society organisations, a number of official actors are present in the RIC facilities on the islands, including RIS, Frontex, the Asylum Service, EUAA and the Hellenic Police. Police: The Police is responsible for guarding the external area of the hotspot facilities, as well as for the identification and verification of nationalities of newcomers. According to the IPA, the registration of the applications for international protection, the notification of the decisions and other procedural documents, as well as the registration of appeals may be carried out by police staff.245 Moreover, in exceptional circumstances, the interviews of the applicants under the “fast track border procedure” may be carried out by police staff, provided that they have received the necessary basic training in the field of international human rights law, the EU asylum acquis and interview techniques.246 However, during 2023 all the interviews, including those of the “fast track border procedure“, were exclusively conducted by EUAA or Asylum Service staff. Finally, the decisions on applications for international protection are always taken by the Asylum Service. Frontex: Frontex staff also participates in the identification and verification of nationalities. Although Frontex should have an assisting role, in practice, it conducts nationality screening almost exclusively, as the Greek authorities lack relevant resources, such as interpreters. The conduct of these procedures by Frontex is defined by an internal regulation. It should be noted that, even though the Greek authorities may base their decision concerning the nationality of a newcomer exclusively on an assessment by Frontex, documents issued by the latter are considered to be ‘non-paper’ and thereby inaccessible to individuals. Assessments by Frontex are thus extremely difficult to challenge in practice. UNHCR/IOM: provide information to newly arrived persons. Asylum Service: According to IPA, the Asylum Service is present in the hotspots. Specifically: ‘(a) third-country national or stateless person wishing to seek international protection, shall be referred to the competent Regional Asylum Office, a Task Force of which may operate in the RIC; (b) both the receipt of applications and the interviews of applicants may take place within the premises of the RIC, in a place where confidentiality is ensured’.247 EUAA (previously EASO): EUAA also participates in the asylum procedure. EUAA experts have a rather active role within the scope of the Fast-Track Border Procedure, as its officers conduct first instance personal interviews, and they issue opinions regarding asylum applications. Following a legislative reform in 2018, Greek-speaking EASO (now EUAA) personnel can also conduct any administrative action for processing asylum applications, including in the Regular Procedure.248 Following a mission conducted in Greece in 2019, ECRE published a report in November 2019 which provides a detailed overview on the role of EASO in Greece.249 244 245 246 247 248 249 RSA, What is happening today in the refugee structures on the Aegean islands, available at: https://tinyurl.com/3dffraet. For more information regarding the impact of Covid-19 restrictive measures on the islands, see AIDA, Country Report: Greece, 2022 Update, June 2023, available at: https://bit.ly/3PUOVk9. Article 90(2) IPA. Article 90(3), b IPA. Article 39(6) IPA Article 65(16) and 90(3) b IPA. See also ECRE, The Role of EASO Operations in National Asylum Systems, November 2019, available at: https://bit.ly/3cSt5rs. ECRE, The Role of EASO Operations in national asylum systems, November 2019, available at: https://bit.ly/3cSt5rs. 62