GREECE
LEGAL AND POLICY CONTEXT
The national asylum and reception system in Greece is under strain and remains, despite the progress made over the past two years, inadequate and ineffective. Although different types of accommodation facilities are now available, such as reception centres, shelters and rental facilities, the overall capacity is insufficient, and homelessness remains a matter of great concern. To increase capacity, the national authorities have established temporary camps run by the Reception and Identification Service( RIS) on the mainland. However, many of these facilities do not meet international and European standards 1 and are not suitable for long-term accommodation, especially of children and families. Children and families are often placed in remote areas where access to health and education services is restricted. Asylum seekers often refuse placements at such centres or leave the camps due to the inadequate living conditions and instead opt to seek accommodation in urban areas, alone or with the support of informal networks. and people who do not seek international protection, with the exception of unaccompanied and separated children, who are entitled to accommodation and care regardless of their migration status.
Nevertheless, the reception system for unaccompanied and separated children is overwhelmed, and those requiring assistance have to wait for a long time until they are placed in suitable facilities. Some of the unaccompanied and separated children found on the streets outside the formal reception system are children who have been expelled from the shelters where they were placed due to antisocial behaviour or delinquency and children who have absconded from the shelters in order to continue their trip to another EU country.
According to the National Centre for Social Solidarity( EKKA), unaccompanied and separated children stay at their allocated accommodation for an average of 48 days.
To address the shortfalls in the reception system, the UNHCR has established an accommodation scheme, providing suitable accommodation to specific groups of asylum seekers, i. e. persons eligible for relocation, those who have submitted family reunification requests under the Dublin Regulation and very vulnerable applicants such as persons with chronic diseases. In addition, many NGOs run shelters that provide accommodation and reception services to unaccompanied and separated children and families with young children. However, the overall capacity remains limited. In addition, certain groups of migrants are not entitled to accommodation and reception services, i. e. asylum seekers whose applications were rejected
Similarly, many families do not seek asylum in Greece and are not registered on the system, and some asylum seekers end up in legal limbo following unsuccessful attempts to reach their destination country.
As a result, despite the legal framework providing for special reception conditions and protection for unaccompanied and separated children and other vulnerable groups, many children with or without family do not have access to housing and basic services. Many of these children become victims of violence and exploitation which negatively impacts their physical and mental health.
1 _ See also:“ Migration Flows and Refugee Protection: Administrative Challenges and Human Rights Issues”, Greek Ombudsman, April 2017, https:// www. synigoros. gr / resources / docs / greek _ ombudsman _ migrants _ refugees _ 2017 _ en. pdf.
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