| Unfortunately, we are once again faced with a period of targeting refugees, migrants, and those who defend their rights, just as we experienced after March 2020. It is no coincidence that both of these moments are linked to the suspension of asylum applications, a measure enacted by the Hellenic Parliament in March 2020 and again in July 2025. The latter period was also combined with a recently passed law that adopts an extreme anti-immigration logic of criminalization. This law, combined with the amendment suspending asylum, already puts refugees arriving in the country at risk, as they are detained in both formal and informal detention facilities throughout the country. The Greek Council for Refugees, adhering to its principles and purpose, has successfully defended refugee cases before national and international courts against the amendment suspending asylum. This stance, as well as that of other civil society organizations, has been the target of attacks, as has happened in the past, with the overall work of NGOs being discredited. We hope that the reactions of international and national refugee protection agencies and human rights organizations in general will be a sufficient counterweight to these unjust and misguided attacks. The Greek Council for Refugees will continue to provide assistance to refugees and migrants in need of protection, as it has consistently done, regardless of interference, for the past 36 years. It will continue to emphasize both access to protection for those who are entitled to it, including those arriving in the country, and their long-term integration into Greek society, as it believes in the positive role of migration and the provision of protection to refugees, both for Greek society and for European society in general. Vasilis Papadopoulos, President of the Board of Directors of the Greek Council for Refugees |
Legal News The unlawful suspension of access to asylum in Greece must be immediately withdrawn 109 civil society organisations, condemn the unlawful and impermissible legislative provision adopted by the Hellenic Parliament on Friday 11 July 2025 (Article 79 of Law 5218/2025) which imposes a three-month suspension on the making of asylum applications for people arriving in Greece from North Africa and orders their immediate deportation without registration. The right to seek asylum and protection from refoulement are fundamental principles that may never be restricted. Both are enshrined in international and EU law instruments that supersede any domestic legislative provision, as already highlighted by reputable institutions at Greek and international level, including the Ombudsman,, the Greek National Commission for Human Rights,, the Association of Administrative Judges, the Union of Greek Administrative Judges,the Plenary of Greek Bar Associations, the Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights and the UN High Commissioner for RefugeesWe call on the Greek government to immediately withdraw this unlawful legislative provision and on the European Commission to take urgent measures to enforce EU law and to immediately put an end to its infringement, in line with its responsibilities under the Treaties. Read tge full press release here.  Greek Council for Refugees files legal remedies for refugees subject to the recent amendment by the Ministry of Migration and Asylum on the suspension of asylum The Greek Council for Refugees (GCR) submitted today Applications for Annulment and for Suspension, with a request for a temporary order, before the Administrative Court of First Instance of Athens representing refugees detained at the Amygdaleza Pre-Departure Detention Center (ΠΡO.K.E.K.A.) whose asylum applications the competent authorities refuse to registeron the grounds of the amendment on the suspension of asylum,introduced by the Ministry of Migration and Asylum, which is, however, in direct contradiction to EU law and the international conventions binding the Greek authorities. The applications concern Sudanese citizens who, after arriving in Crete from Libya, were transferred on July 20, 2025, to the Amygdaleza Pre-Departure Detention Center (PROKEKA). A return decision has been issued against them, and they remain in detention to this day, while the competent authorities have not received their asylum applications, invoking the amendment of the Ministry of Migration and Asylum (Article 79 of Law 5218/2025) on the suspension of asylum. Read the full Press Release here. The Administrative Court of First Instance of Athens, as the European Court of Human Rights had also ruled earlier, grants a suspension of removal from the country to Sudanese refugees affected by the amendment imposing a 3-month suspension of access to asylum. On 25 August 2025, the Administrative Court of First Instance of Athens upheld the requests of four Sudanese refugees, who have been denied access to asylum due to the recent 3-month suspension of asylum by the Ministry of Migration and Asylum, and granted an interim order against their return decisions, ordering the suspension of their removal from the country. Read the full press release here.  Shipwreck off Pylos: Criminal prosecution for felonies against 17 members of the hellenic coast guard, including senior officers of its leadership The lawyers representing the survivors and victims of the shipwreck of the fishing vessel “Adriana”, which occurred west off Pylos on 14 June 2023, have been informed of the completion of the preliminary investigation conducted by the competent Deputy Prosecutor of the Piraeus Naval Court, and the criminal prosecution and referral to main investigation on felony charges against 17 members of the Hellenic Coast Guard, including senior officers of its leadership.Read full press release here  Two years after the Pylos crime: Developments in the criminal proceedings – Criminal prosecution On Thursday 19 June 2025, a Press Conference was held Press Conference at the Athens Bar Association marking the second anniversary of the Pylos crime,,the deadliest shipwreck recorded in the Mediterranean in recent years. Lawyers from organisations representing the survivors and the families of the victims of the shipwreck, who have filed lawsuits with the Piraeus Naval Court, participated. They highlighted recent crucial developments in the criminal proceedings, which constitute a first, substantial step towards justice and accountability. More specifically, an update was provided on the recent criminal prosecution for felonies against 17 members of the Hellenic Coast Guard, including senior officers of its leadership. Read full press release here ECtHR : The Court rejects the Greek Government's request for a review of the pushback case A.R.E. v. Greece On1st of July 2025 the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) rejected the Greek Government's request to refer to the Court's Grand Chamber the first case examined by the Court in relation to a complaint of pushback of an asylum seeker from Turkey in Evros by the Greek authorities. We recall that on 7 January 2025 the ECtHR with its landmark Judgment A.R.E. v. Greece (no.15783/21) condemned Greece for the first time in a pushback case,, which was supported before the Court by lawyers of the Greek Council for Refugees (GCR). Read the full Press Release here |
Stories of hope From the Democratic Republic of Congo to Greece: A child reunited with his family On 19 June 2025, an 11-year-old child arrived at Eleftherios Venizelos Airport and was reunited with his mother and little sister after years of waiting. The mother was forced to leave her country in 2019 due to persecution. She arrived in Greece the same year and was recognised as a refugee in 2022. Immediately after her recognition, she submitted an application for family reunification to bring her minor son to live with her. After many years of persistent legal interventions by the lawyers of the Greek Council for Refugees (GCR), from the certification of the necessary family reunification documents, the interview before the Asylum Service, to the issuance of the child's entry visa, the family is now reunited. Read full story here.  Rohingya refugee family reunites in Greece: “We can build our future now” With legal support, a Rohingya refugee family were able to realize their right to be reunited, but funding cuts will deny such support to other families desperate to be together. Just hours before the start of 2025, the Suji family celebrated the New Year in Athens with immense joy. After nearly a decade of separation, Mahmoud, Maryam, and their two sons, Maher and Mahdi, were finally together again – filled with hope for the future. Read full story here. |
| Αdvocacy Children on the move - Joint Briefing #2 New Report: Children on the Move in Greece - May - August 2025 -a joint briefing by the Greek Council for Refugees (GCR) and Save the Children. The briefing highlights important trends and challenges: Arrivals to Greece in 2025 remain high, with Crete emerging as the main entry point (42% of sea arrivals; +350% compared to 2024). Children account for more than one-fifth of arrivals, with 30% unaccompanied or separated. On 11 July 2025, the government suspended access to asylum for people arriving by boat from North Africa to Crete, ordering returns without registering claims. Detention and returns under the new law:longer detention periods, electronic tagging, criminalization of irregular stay, abolition of exceptional grounds for issuing residence permits. Risks for children: limited access to education, violation of the principle of the best interests of the child. Serious deficiencies in reception and accommodation,with prolonged stays in unsuitable facilities, separation of families, and limited access to school education. Challenges in education and significant obstacles for unaccompanied children, as well as for those reaching adulthood. At the same time,, που εστιάζουν στην προστασία των παιδιών και τη μη επιστροφή τους σε χώρες που μπορεί να αντιμετωπίζουν κίνδυνο, την ενίσχυση των εθνικών συστημάτων υποδοχής και προστασίας των παιδιών, καθώς και των ΜΚΟ που παρέχουν νομική βοήθεια και προστασία σε παιδιά και οικογένειες σε πλαίσιο αναγκαστικού εκτοπισμού. Η έκθεση περιλαμβάνει δεδομένα, στατιστικά και συγκεκριμένες προτάσεις πολιτικής που είναι κρίσιμες για την προστασία των παιδιών προσφύγων και αιτούντων άσυλο στην Ελλάδα. Read the full report here New Report by the Greek Council for Refugees (GCR): European Funds and Fundamental Rights Violations in Greece A new report by the Greek Council for Refugees (GCR) shows how European funding intersects with violations of fundamental rights in Greece.The report on Greece is part of the project FURI ("EU Funds for Fundamental Rights”), which is an initial assessment of the country's compliance with the EU Funds' regulatory framework, which requires full respect for fundamental rights. To varying degrees, it identifies a range of rights violations affecting vulnerable social groups, such as asylum seekers, persons with disabilities, and Greek Roma, due to policies and practices implemented, in part, with European Union (EU) funds. Read the full report here.  Family Reunification of Recognised Refugees in Greece - July 2025 Family reunification is essential to making family life possible and plays a crucial role in enabling refugees who have fled persecution to rebuild a normal life. This report examines the procedure on family reunification for recognised refugees in Greece whose family members reside outside the European Union. It analyses the implementation of Presidential Decree 131/2006 and the EU Family Reunification Directive 2003/86/EC within the Greek legal and administrative framework. Alongside a step-by-step overview of the procedure, the report identifies key legal and practical challenges and offers recommendations to safeguard family unity in line with international and European law Read the full report here. |
| Social Media Check your facts: What is the reality of the refugee situation in Greece and Europe? The Greek Council for Refugees presents documented and reliable data on the current debate surrounding refugees. We respond to misinformation with facts. Read the full text here and find our campaign on social media. |
 We’ve got merch! A collection with messages of solidarity by GCR The Greek Council for Refugees (GCR), in collaboration with the artist The Rabbit Knows, presents the collection “Here come the strangers...”, which includes six unique sketches that examine the alienation and stereotypes associated with refugees and migrants. With a strong dose of humour, the sketches attempt to break down stereotypes about refugees and migrants and put the brakes on fear of the ‘Other’, giving through funny lines the dose of love and inclusivity we need. The collection includes fabric bags and notebooks in 6 different designs and you can get them with a minimum donation of 10 euros, supporting the work of the Greek Council for Refugees. See the whole collection here.  Emergency Appeal - We need you by our side! Thousands of refugees are at risk of losing access to legal aid as funding for humanitarian action is drastically reduced. The Greek Council for Refugees (GCR), the main organisation that provides legal aid provider for refugees and asylum seekers in the Greece, is facing a severe funding crisis, which is jeopardizing free legal assistance for over 5,000 refugees and asylum seekers. Without immediate assistance, vulnerable groups will be left without representation in critical legal proceedings, leading to more rejections, delays and suffering. Since 2021, the ERC has assisted over 140 family reunions, but this vital work is now at risk. Help us continue to support those in need. Make a donation today. |
