{"id":12683,"date":"2026-07-28T07:52:22","date_gmt":"2026-07-28T07:52:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/gcr.gr\/?p=12683"},"modified":"2026-07-28T09:20:37","modified_gmt":"2026-07-28T09:20:37","slug":"aitoyntes-asylo-kindyneyoyn-na-odigithoyn-sti-fylaki-logo-tis-adynamias-tis-ypiresias-asyloy-na-katagrapsei-aitimata-asyloy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/gcr.gr\/en\/news\/item\/aitoyntes-asylo-kindyneyoyn-na-odigithoyn-sti-fylaki-logo-tis-adynamias-tis-ypiresias-asyloy-na-katagrapsei-aitimata-asyloy\/","title":{"rendered":"Asylum Seekers Risk Imprisonment Due to the Asylum Service\u2019s Failure to Register Asylum Applications"},"content":{"rendered":"<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><em>Athens Court Acquits Somali Asylum Seeker Prosecuted for \u201cIllegal Stay\u201d Following the Asylum Service\u2019s Failure to Register His Asylum Application \u00a0<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; On Friday, 17 July 2026, the Single-Member Misdemeanour Court of Athens acquitted an 18-year-old Somali national who had been prosecuted for the offence of \u201cillegal stay\u201d after the Greek Asylum Service failed to complete the registration of his application for international protection.\n\nThe young man had repeatedly attempted to complete the full registration of his asylum application before the competent Asylum Service. However, this proved impossible due to the entirely arbitrary suspension of asylum registrations following the entry into force of the new legislation implementing the European Pact on Migration and Asylum on 12 June 2026. As confirmed in correspondence between the Asylum Service and his lawyer, which was submitted before the Court,&nbsp; <strong>\u201c<\/strong><strong><em>\u201cdue to the entry into force of the new Migration Pact, registrations have been suspended from 12 June 2026 until today.\u201d<\/em><\/strong><strong>\u201d.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <strong>Unable to access the asylum procedure, he was arrested, charged with the offence of \u201c<em>illegal stay<\/em>\"<\/strong> (\"<em>stay without the required legal formalities<\/em>and brought before the summary criminal procedure (flagrante delicto court). It should be recalled that this offence was introduced into Greek law for the first time by Law 5226\/2025, adopted in September 2025, and carries a mandatory minimum prison sentence of two years without the possibility of suspension.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Court acquitted the young Somali asylum seeker, finding that he had taken all the necessary steps and fully complied with his obligations before the Asylum Service. The Court recognised that the failure to complete the registration of his asylum application was attributable solely to the Asylum Service.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Without legal assistance, however, it would have been impossible for him to defend himself effectively. <\/strong>Establishing his case required obtaining documentary evidence to which he would not have had access without a lawyer, as well as explaining before the Court a highly complex and constantly evolving administrative procedure, together with the authorities\u2019 systemic administrative failures.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This case is emblematic of the situation currently faced by asylum seekers in Greece: <strong>they are denied effective access to the asylum procedure while simultaneously facing the risk of criminal prosecution and imprisonment for seeking protection in good faith.<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Those who remain without legal assistance, <strong>risk being convicted without ever having a genuine opportunity to defend themselves<\/strong>While the 18-year-old Somali applicant in this case was acquitted because he was able to secure timely legal representation, the Greek Council for Refugees (GCR) is aware of other Somali asylum seekers who remain in prolonged detention following convictions under the \u201cillegal stay\u201d provisions, <strong>despite the fact that the Greek police themselves acknowledge that returns to Somalia are not feasible.<\/strong> It should be noted that <strong>according to all reliable sources,<\/strong>, Somalia continues to face \u201c<em>protracted conflict, insecurity and ongoing humanitarian crises\u201d<\/em>, (see, for example, U.S. Department of State, 2025 Trafficking in Persons Report: Somalia) <a href=\"https:\/\/www.state.gov\/reports\/2025-trafficking-in-persons-report\/somalia\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">https:\/\/www.state.gov\/reports\/2025-trafficking-in-persons-report\/somalia\/<\/a>). &nbsp;<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; \u0391\u03b8\u03ce\u03bf \u03ad\u03ba\u03c1\u03b9\u03bd\u03b5, \u03c4\u03b7\u03bd \u03a0\u03b1\u03c1\u03b1\u03c3\u03ba\u03b5\u03c5\u03ae 17-7-2026, \u03c4\u03bf \u039c\u03bf\u03bd\u03bf\u03bc\u03b5\u03bb\u03ad\u03c2 \u03a0\u03bb\u03b7\u03bc\u03bc\u03b5\u03bb\u03b5\u03b9\u03bf\u03b4\u03b9\u03ba\u03b5\u03af\u03bf \u03c4\u03b7\u03c2 \u0391\u03b8\u03ae\u03bd\u03b1\u03c2 &nbsp;\u03bd\u03b5\u03b1\u03c1\u03cc \u03c0\u03bf\u03bb\u03af\u03c4\u03b7 \u03a3\u03bf\u03bc\u03b1\u03bb\u03af\u03b1\u03c2 (18 \u03b5\u03c4\u03ce\u03bd). \u039f \u03af\u03b4\u03b9\u03bf\u03c2 \u03b5\u03af\u03c7\u03b5 \u03c0\u03c1\u03bf\u03c3\u03c0\u03b1\u03b8\u03ae\u03c3\u03b5\u03b9 \u03b5\u03c0\u03b1\u03bd\u03b5\u03b9\u03bb\u03b7\u03bc\u03bc\u03ad\u03bd\u03b1 \u03bd\u03b1 \u03bf\u03bb\u03bf\u03ba\u03bb\u03b7\u03c1\u03ce\u03c3\u03b5\u03b9 \u03c4\u03b7\u03bd \u03c0\u03bb\u03ae\u03c1\u03b7 \u03ba\u03b1\u03c4\u03b1\u03b3\u03c1\u03b1\u03c6\u03ae \u03c4\u03bf\u03c5 \u03b1\u03b9\u03c4\u03ae\u03bc\u03b1\u03c4\u03bf\u03c2 \u03b4\u03b9\u03b5\u03b8\u03bd\u03bf\u03cd\u03c2 \u03c0\u03c1\u03bf\u03c3\u03c4\u03b1\u03c3\u03af\u03b1\u03c2 \u03c4\u03bf\u03c5 (\u03b1\u03af\u03c4\u03b7\u03bc\u03b1 \u03b1\u03c3\u03cd\u03bb\u03bf\u03c5), \u03b5\u03bd\u03ce\u03c0\u03b9\u03bf\u03bd \u03c4\u03b7\u03c2 \u03b1\u03c1\u03bc\u03cc\u03b4\u03b9\u03b1\u03c2 \u03a5\u03c0\u03b7\u03c1\u03b5\u03c3\u03af\u03b1\u03c2 \u0391\u03c3\u03cd\u03bb\u03bf\u03c5, \u03c7\u03c9\u03c1\u03af\u03c2 \u03b1\u03c5\u03c4\u03cc \u03bd\u03b1 \u03ba\u03b1\u03c4\u03b1\u03c3\u03c4\u03b5\u03af \u03b5\u03c6\u03b9\u03ba\u03c4\u03cc, \u03b5\u03be\u03b1\u03b9\u03c4\u03af\u03b1\u03c2 \u03c4\u03b7\u03c2 \u03b1\u03c0\u03bf\u03bb\u03cd\u03c4\u03c9\u03c2 \u03b1\u03c5\u03b8\u03b1\u03af\u03c1\u03b5\u03c4\u03b7\u03c2 \u03b4\u03b9\u03b1\u03ba\u03bf\u03c0\u03ae\u03c2 \u03c4\u03c9\u03bd \u03ba\u03b1\u03c4\u03b1\u03b3\u03c1\u03b1\u03c6\u03ce\u03bd \u03b1\u03b9\u03c4\u03b7\u03bc\u03ac\u03c4\u03c9\u03bd \u03b1\u03c3\u03cd\u03bb\u03bf\u03c5 \u03b1\u03c0\u03cc \u03c4\u03b7\u03bd \u03b7\u03bc\u03ad\u03c1\u03b1 [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":9,"featured_media":12687,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[16,20],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-12683","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","category-press-releases"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/gcr.gr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12683","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/gcr.gr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/gcr.gr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gcr.gr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/9"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gcr.gr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=12683"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/gcr.gr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12683\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":12685,"href":"https:\/\/gcr.gr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12683\/revisions\/12685"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gcr.gr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/12687"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/gcr.gr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=12683"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gcr.gr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=12683"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gcr.gr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=12683"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}