UNHCR has continued to provide legal counselling at first instance as well as legal representation at second instance of the asylum procedures with the financial support of the European Commission’s DG Home. Under other sources of funding, legal assistance has also been provided as of the first instance of the asylum procedures and in the areas of further administrative treatment (e.g. detention), access to rights and penal treatment (e.g. irregular entry of asylum-seekers). Legal assistance in the above rights’ groups areas has been for many years a priority protection activity for UNHCR in Greece in view of contributing to a fairer and more efficient asylum process and to a more protection-sensitive legal environment.
In 2020, UNHCR provided legal assistance to 9,047 asylum-seekers and beneficiaries of international protection through its implementing partners the Greek Council for Refugees (6,775 persons) and METAdrasi (2,305 persons).
On the mainland (Athens, Thessaloniki, Ioannina), legal aid has been provided by GCR mainly at reception desks in the legal aid partner’s premises and through missions to sites and detention facilities. On the islands (Lesvos, Chios, Samos, Kos, Leros, Rhodes) and at Evros, legal aid services have been provided by METAdrasi and GCR also within Reception and Identification Centres (RICs) where most of the population reside, and within other (open) accommodation facilities.
In particular, legal assistance was provided to 3,366 asylum-seekers at the border locations (Evros, Lesvos, Chios, Samos, Kos, Leros, Rhodes), as well as to 4,574 in the mainland (647 in detention, 1,748 in the urban context, 545 in sites where IOM is the SMS actor and 1,634 in ESTIA accommodation scheme). In particular: a) 6,046 asylum-seekers have received legal counselling at first instance of the asylum procedures, including for access to asylum and for family reunification under the Dublin III Regulation; b) 706 legal representation at first instance, including for family reunification under the Dublin III Regulation; c) 503 legal counselling at second instance; d) 456 legal representation at second instance in complementarity to the state run legal aid scheme; e) 189 legal representation before the Administrative Courts for applications of annulment against second instance negative decisions on asylum applications or against a return order in the context of strategic litigation and/or in in high-profile cases; f) 214 have been assisted with representation before the Courts for other types of cases (e.g family reunification, birth certificates, penal cases for gender-based violence survivors); g) 1,172 beneficiaries of international protection (BIPs) received assistance for family reunification procedures, issuance of travel documents, correction of data registered by the Authorities, issuance of certificates, support on civil and criminal cases and to a limited number of cases on renewal of refugee status, renewal of residence permit in view of strengthening the self-reliance of beneficiaries.
In addition, 86 persons that had already received legal assistance within the reporting period, were further provided with representation at second instance, 53 persons with representation before the Administrative Courts for applications of annulment against second instance negative decisions on asylum applications and/or against return orders and 90 persons with assistance after they had been recognized as BIPs.
The engagement in legal aid provision and the presence of UNHCR’s legal aid partners in various locations has promoted advocacy activities for addressing the systemic problems the asylum system faces, also through strengthening the coordination with other legal aid partners and through participation in the legal aid working groups. Moreover, litigation proceedings proved so far to have a significant impact in view of establishing positive jurisprudence both at the national as well as the supranational Courts (ECtHR).