Greece

In 2025, HIAS Greece focused on supporting asylum seekers and beneficiaries of international protection, particularly the most vulnerable, including minors and individuals suffering from chronic mental health conditions. Given the limited legal aid available to asylum seekers and recipients of international protection and the gaps in their mental health support, HIAS Greece plays a crucial role in protecting human rights in the country.

Significant legal, judicial, and political developments directly relevant to the state of the rule of law in Greece have unfolded since our January 2026 contribution to the European Commission and February 2026 addendum thereto. This second addendum to our report provides an overview of those developments, to be read in conjunction with our previous contributions to the Rule of Law Report.

Urgent action is needed to address the longstanding rule of law concerns in Greece. Independent organizations HIAS Greece, Refugee Support Aegean (RSA), Vouliwatch, Greek Council for Refugees (GCR), Hellenic League for Human Rights (HLHR), Homo Digitalis, Reporters United, and Solomon track the systemic failings of Greek institutions in their latest annual report. These flaws are interconnected and have nefarious effects on an array of facets of the rule of law, from justice, law-making, and transparency rules to press freedom, civil society, and data protection.

The HIAS Greece Mental Health and Psychosocial Support (MHPSS) team has supported numerous cases of individuals living in highly precarious conditions, including some experiencing homelessness. Read more about our recommendations for improving housing security for refugees in Greece.

An emergency situation is unfolding in Greece due to severe breaches of EU law stemming from the enactment and implementation of a law that suspends the right to asylum. The urgent situation requires immediate measures on the part of the European Commission to address a real and imminent risk of removal contrary to the principle of non-refoulement and ongoing arbitrary deprivation of liberty, facing thousands of people currently detained in Greek detention facilities under active, enforceable return decisions ordering their removal to the country of origin or country of transit, and denied the right to make an application for international protection.

This issue of the Greek Asylum Case Law Report provides excerpts from 82 decisions by administrative, civil, and criminal courts, the Independent Appeals Committees and the Asylum Service, issued in the first half of 2025. This issue covers topics such as the interpretation of the “safe third country” concept, evidence assessment and refugee status determination, procedural safeguards in the asylum procedure, including assessment of the nationality of people seeking international protection, the workings of administrative appeals and of judicial protection of asylum seekers, as well as immigration detention.

In early May, Greek media reported that the Ministry of Migration and Asylum issued a verbal directive to the authorities of refugee camps across Greece to evict beneficiaries of International Protection and reject asylum seekers from their facilities. We call on the Ministry to rescind the eviction order of people on the move from camps.

HIAS and our partners document systemic problems within Greek institutions that undermine the rule of law in our new contribution to the European Commission’s Annual Rule of Law Report. We identify a number of cross-cutting issues affecting different aspects of the rule of law in the country. Read the full report to learn more.

This issue covers topics such as the interpretation of the “safe third country” concept, evidence assessment and refugee status determination, procedural safeguards in the asylum procedure, including assessment of the nationality of people seeking international protection, the workings of administrative appeals and of judicial protection of asylum seekers, as well as immigration detention.

HIAS Greece, along with five Greek Civil Society and investigative journalism organizations (Vouliwatch, RSA Greece, the Greek Council for Refugees, the Hellenic League for Human Rights, and Reporters United), addressed a letter to the new Commissioner for Justice, Rule of Law, and Consumer Protection, Michael McGrath. The letter highlights significant weaknesses of the European Rule of Law Mechanism and outlines a series of challenges that undermine the effective resolution of systemic pathologies and the promotion of accountability. It also includes specific proposals for upgrading this tool.

What conceptualizations of mental health do forcibly displaced populations hold? What perspectives do mental health practitioners have on the various cultural conceptions and behaviors related to mental health? Are the various definitions of health and health-seeking behaviors sufficiently reflected in the global health movement? Learn more as HIAS Greece seeks to highlight these issues and concerns through this article.

The Greek Asylum Case Law Report issue 1/2024 covers topics such as the interpretation of the “safe third country” concept, evidence assessment and refugee status determination, procedural safeguards in the asylum procedure, the workings of administrative appeals and of judicial protection of asylum seekers, as well as immigration detention.

Defending and strengthening the rule of law remains a core priority for Greek civil society against the backdrop of ongoing institutional decline in the country. Independent organisations Vouliwatch, Greek Council for Refugees (GCR), Refugee Support Aegean (RSA), HIAS Greece, Hellenic League for Human Rights (HLHR) and Reporters United document persisting deficiencies and emerging threats to the rule of law in Greece in their contribution to the European Commission’s annual monitoring of Member States’ systems through its Rule of Law Report.

The policy brief discusses the prevalence of psychological distress among forcibly displaced people in Greece and its connection to the various stages of the asylum procedure.

In 2025, HIAS Greece focused on supporting asylum seekers and beneficiaries of international protection, particularly the most vulnerable, including minors and individuals suffering from chronic mental health conditions. Given the limited legal aid available to asylum seekers and recipients of international protection and the gaps in their mental health support, HIAS Greece plays a crucial role in protecting human rights in the country.

In 2024, HIAS Greece provided mental health and psychosocial support through individual and group sessions, as well as legal aid to asylum seekers and refugees through legal information sessions, consultation, and representation throughout their asylum procedure but also other civil and penal cases.

Read HIAS Greece's audit report for 2024.

Read HIAS Greece's 2023 annual report in Greek.

Read HIAS Greece's audit report for 2023.

Read HIAS Greece's 2022 annual report in Greek.

Read HIAS Greece's audit report for 2022.

Read HIAS Greece's 2021 annual report in Greek

Read HIAS Greece's audit report for 2021 in Greek.

Read HIAS Greece's 2020 annual report in Greek

Read HIAS Greece's audit report for 2020 in Greek.