by Forge for Humanity, Mobile Info Team (MIT) and Refugee Legal Support (RLS), evidenced that of 124 people surveyed who requested an appointment at Malakasa RIC via the online platform between July 2022 and May 2023, 11% waited for more than five months to attend their appointment; in some cases, people waited more than five months to attend an appointment.16 b) Access to the online system for registration of asylum applications As highlighted in our previous Rule 9.2 submission, asylum seekers continue to report facing difficulties in accessing the online platform for requesting registration appointments for first instance asylum claims on the website of the Ministry of Migration and Asylum (MoMA).17 In 2023, MIT and RLS conducted interviews in which 69% of respondents referred to frequent crashing of the online platform or reported being informed by the system that there were no appointments 18 available. Although less frequent than during 2023, technical issues with the online platform continue to be witnessed by MIT, indicating that these issues are yet to be entirely resolved almost two years after the platform was launched.19 Reports from Equal Legal Aid (ELA) 20 and 21 MIT further highlight that the digitalisation of the Greek asylum system has created additional barriers for those who are not digitally literate or who cannot afford to purchase mobile data. c) Lack of interpretation services in asylum procedures In our previous Rule 9.2 submission, we highlighted the suspension of interpretation services between the MoMA and the European Union Asylum Agency (EUAA) in March 2023 for provision 22 of services in island facilities and reduced interpretation provision on the mainland from October 2022.23 On 14th May 2024, the main provider of interpretation services to both the Asylum Service and Reception and Identification Service (RIS), Metadrasi, announced the suspension of its services, reporting that it had not received funds from the Ministry for a continuous period of nine months.24 As a result, asylum interviews were indefinitely postponed or cancelled, 25 and appeals and subsequent applications were halted, leaving many people in a legal limbo without access to basic protection services. 26 Metadrasi has reported non-payment by the Ministry on several occasions during 2023 and 2024. 27 _________________________________ 16. Mobile Info Team. 2023. Protection Unavailable: Dysfunctional Practices and Restrictions on the Right to Asylum. Available at: https://www.mobileinfoteam.org/ric. 17. Joint Submission by I Have Rights and Mobile Info Team to the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe in the cases of M.S.S. v. Belgium and Greece & Rahimi v. Greece. 2023. Available at: https://www.mobileinfoteam.org/mss-submission. 18. Mobile Info Team. 2023. Protection Unavailable: Dysfunctional Practices and Restrictions on the Right to Asylum. Available at: https://www.mobileinfoteam.org/ric. 19. Mobile Info Team. 2022. New Asylum Seeker Registration Procedure begins today and is already at capacity. Available at: http://bit.ly/3WVXXPA. 20. Equal Legal Aid. 2022. Digitalisation of the Greek asylum procedure: a way into the future, or a barrier to human rights?. Available at: https://www.equallegalaid.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/ELA-Final-Report-2.pdf. 21. Mobile Info Team. 2023. Protection Unavailable: Dysfunctional Practices and Restrictions on the Right to Asylum. Available at: https://www.mobileinfoteam.org/ric. 22. George Pagoudis. 2023. ‘Είδος υπό εξαφάνιση οι διερμηνείς στις προσφυγικές δομές του Β. Αιγαίου’. efsyn. Available at: https://www.efsyn.gr/ellada/koinonia/386468_eidos-ypo-exafanisi-oi-diermineis-stis-prosfygikes-domes-toy-b-aigaioy. 23. 902.gr. 2023. Να αποκατασταθεί άμεσα η υπηρεσία ασύλου. 902.gr. Available at: https://www.902.gr/eidisi/koinonia/331861/naapokatastathei-amesa-i-ypiresia-asyloy 24. Metadrasi. 2024. Facebook post. Available at: https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=792859512946094&set=a.461882352710480&_rdc=1&_rdr. 25. Mobile Info Team, Equal Legal Aid, Refugee Legal Support, Avocats Sans Frontières, I Have Rights, and Legal Centre Lesvos. 2024. Lack of interpretation services lengthens existing delays to access asylum and leaves people without protection. Available at: https://www.mobileinfoteam.org/statement-lack-interpretation. 26. Ibid 27. METAdrasi. 2024. Οκτώ μήνες μη καταβολής των οφειλομένων στη ΜΕΤΑδραση για την παροχή διερμηνείας στους προσφυγικούς καταυλισμούς και τις διαδικασίες ασύλου. Available at: https://shorturl.at/KinXX; METAdrasi. 2023. Αναγκαστική μείωση της διερμηνείας στα Κέντρα παραμονής μεταναστών και προσφύγων και στις διαδικασίες ασύλου: Πολύμηνη καθυστέρηση καταβολής των οφειλόμενων από το Υπουργείο Μετανάστευσης και Ασύλου. Available at: https://shorturl.at/fRKnJ; Moira Lavelle. 2024. ‘Lost for Words: Lack of interpreters puts asylum seekers’ lives on hold in Greece’. Solomon. Available at: https://wearesolomon.com/mag/format/feature/lost-for-words-lack-of-interpreters-puts-asylum-seekers-lives-onhold-in-greece/. 03