November 2025
Pylos shipwreck: Criminal prosecution on felony charges against the current head of the Coast Guard and senior members of its leadership
By order of the Prosecutor of the Court of Appeal, 1st criminal proceedings are to be brought against four senior officers of the Coast Guard, including its current chief,, whose case had been shelved by the prosecutor of the Piraeus Naval Court, and the survivors had lodged an appeal against the shelving..
Among other things, the ruling notes significant omissions in terms of activating a rescue operation for a significant period of time (from 11 a.m. on the day the fishing boat was located until the arrival of the coast guard vessel, and from the time the fishing boat was immobilized until it capsized), resulting in a loss of critical time "undermining the survivors' chances of survival ." Furthermore, the Order considers that the version of events involving the towing of the fishing boat, an allegation that the competent authorities continue to deny, "is more convincing and plausible, given that, on the other hand (the Coast Guard), no detailed and convincing explanation is given for the sudden (otherwise) capsizing and sinking of the fishing boat [...]".
The lawyers of the organizations including the Greek Council for Refugees and collectives representing the survivors and victims of the Pylos shipwreck, as well as those who worked on and supported this case, express their satisfaction with the acceptance of the survivors' appeals and the extension of criminal proceedings against the four senior officers of the Coast Guard, for whom the case had been closed, and emphasized that it is a substantial and self-evident step forward in the process of vindicating the victims and delivering justice.
UN Special Rapporteurs: Serious concern about the statements made by the Minister of Migration and Asylum against civil society organizations – Attack on their legitimate work, attempt to intimidate and delegitimize them in the eyes of the public.
Following repeated statements by the Minister of Migration and Asylum against organizations supporting refugees and migrants in Greece, three Special Rapporteurs of the United Nations, in a letter to the Greek government, express their deep concern and condemn the continued targeting of civil society organizations. Among other things, they point out that:“we express our grave concern at the public statements by the Minister of Migration and Asylum of Greece […] […]in relation to non-governmental organisations working in the field of asylum and migration. We fear that the statements by the [Minister] amount to an attack on the legitimate work of these organisations in defence of the rights of refugees and asylum seekers, and to be designed to intimidate them and delegitimise their human rights work in the eyes of the public. Our fears in this sense are compounded by the repeated denigration of the work of people acting in defence of the rights of migrants, refugees and asylum seekers in Greece, including lawyers.””.
Request by the Greek Council for Refugees to the Ombudsman to conduct an inspection of the Controlled Access Facility in Sintiki, Serres, regarding reports of inappropriate detention conditions.
Following repeated complaints from asylum seekers regarding the conditions of detention at the Closed Facility in Sintiki, Serres, the Greek Council for Refugees requested the intervention of the Ombudsman to conduct an inspection of their detention conditions.
It should be noted that the Sintiki Facility was suddenly converted into a Special Detention Facility in July 2025, as part of the decision to suspend asylum for three months, without the facility meeting the minimum relevant standards. In this facility, since the suspension of asylum, the number of detainees has exceeded the official capacity of the facility, and there have been reports of appalling detention conditions as well as"serious deficiencies and inadequacies in basic security infrastructure."”.
At the same time, asylum was granted to an Egyptian citizen who remained for a prolonged period of time and in completely unsuitable conditions in the closed facility in Sintiki, in a case represented by the GCR. This case demonstrates the need for individualized examination of all asylum applications, even for citizens of countries that the Greek authorities characterize as safe.
Sudanese refugee acquitted of smuggling charges after being detained for 8 months – Case represented by the Greek Council for Refugees
The Chania Single-Member Court of Appeal for Felonies acquitted a Sudanese refugee represented by the Greek Council for Refugees, who—upon his entry into the country together with his wife and their three minor children—had been charged with smuggling, separated from his family, and held in pre-trial detention for eight months in Chania Prison. This case highlights once again the profoundly problematic nature of the relevant provision of Greek law (Article 25 of Law 5038/2023), which makes no distinction whatsoever between criminal networks and smugglers on the one hand, and individuals who are compelled to steer a boat solely in pursuit of protection on the other. As a result, refugees are indiscriminately criminalised and subjected to lengthy prison sentences in Greek prisons.
GCR/the AIRE Centre Submission to the Committee the AIRE Center of Ministers of The Council οf Europe concerning the execution of the O.R. v Greece etc. Judgments of the Court - November 2025
The Greek Council for Refugees and the AIRE Center submitted a joint submission to the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe regarding the implementation of the judgments of the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) in the cases of O.R. v Greece et al. These cases concern the conditions and measures for the protection of unaccompanied children in Greece. The Committee of Ministers is the Council of Europe body responsible for supervising the execution of ECHR judgments. Among other things, the Observations highlight the prolonged stay of unaccompanied children in Reception and Identification Centers and Closed Controlled Facilities in a de facto detention regime and the reduction of available accommodation places in suitable facilities.
NEW European Comparative Report: Challenges, Best Practices, and Priorities
A new report, in which the Greek Council for Refugees participated, presents key findings from seven organizations that assist refugees in Europe. Among other things, the report identifies challenges, best practices, and clear priorities for improving staff mental well-being and integrating trauma-informed approaches.
