Children on the Move in Greece – Brief #1

Το ΕΣΠ σε συνεργασία με την Save the Children θα εκδώσουν μέσα στο 2025 τρία συνοπτικά σημειώματα για την επισκόπηση των εξελίξεων που αφορούν στα παιδιά σε μετακίνηση (κυρίως παιδιά πρόσφυγες και αιτούντα άσυλο) στην Ελλάδα.

Σήμερα σας αποστέλλουμε επισυναπτόμενη την 1η Επισκόπηση που αφορά την περίοδο Ιανουαρίου – Απριλίου 2025 και περιέχει πληροφορίες για:

· Increase in arrivals: In 2024, a record number of asylum applications were filed, with 69,000 new applications, 25% of which concerned children. In continuation of this trend, in early 2025 28% of arrivals were children.

Reception System and Protection: Despite the increase in arrivals, the quality of reception conditions remains problematic, with children being in overcrowded and substandard conditions, limited access to medical services, and child protection services, especially in the "safe areas" within Closed Controlled Access Centers (CCACs) / Reception and Identification Centers (RICs)

· Unaccompanied children: Approximately 2,375 unaccompanied and separated children are currently in Greece, often under de facto detention conditions in "safe areas," facing serious risks to their safety and well-being.

· Guardianship: Despite the establishment of the National Guardianship System, there are still gaps in representation and legal support for unaccompanied children.

· Recommendations: The need for immediate activation of the relocation mechanism is highlighted, together with the implementation of measures to improve reception conditions in order to adhere with the rights of the child.

Read the full briefing here