The President of the Council of State (CoS), with a Decision on an interim order request, has ordered the Authorities to abstain by any forcible removal of 2 Afghan women who had submitted legal remedies against the refusal of the Administration to receive their asylum applications their expulsion, by virtue of the Legislative Act as of 2.3.2020, which provided for the suspension of the registration of asylum applications and imminent removal for third country nationals who entered the country irregularly from 1.3.2020. The vulnerability of the Applicants has been taken into consideration in this Decision.

The Court will decide for the Application of Annulment of the Legislative Act on 18-9-2020, while the relevant application for suspension of the impugned Act is pending.

Given that the period of implementation of this particular exceptional measure has expired, as the duration of the Legislative Act was until 31.3.2020, the Greek Council for Refugees expects the return to legality and for the administration to act accordingly, in compliance with international and EU law, with regard to refugees and other international protection beneficiaries who have arrived in Greece after 1.3.2020.

GCR reserves the right to lodge all possible legal means before national and international Courts and bodies for the registration of applications of international protection, of all those who wish to submit such an application while they entered Greece during the time that the Legislative Act was in effect (March 2020) and remain detained, amidst the current corona virus pandemic.