The Greek Council for Refugees publishes ‘News from the Field’ for July 2026

‘News from the Field’ is a monthly compilation of news in asylum and human rights in Greece, through the perspective of the Greek Council for Refugees. In the July 2026 edition comprised the following topics:

• The official entry into force of the Pact on Migration and Asylum and the reported initial dysfunctions in its implementation, including delays in access to procedure.
• A new joint report by the Greek Council for Refugees (GCR) and Save the Children, which maps the challenges in child protection in Greece. 
• Reactions to the Joint Ministerial Decision (JMD), issued in June 2026, which regulates the provision of free legal counselling under the Pact on Migration and Asylum.
• Data on return that seem to be countering the narrative of the Greek government that number of returns has increased. 
• Reference to the recommendations by the European Ombudsman to the European Union Agency for Asylum (EUAA) on the handling of asylum cases in Greece.
• Reference to the Annual Report of the Recording Mechanism of Informal Forced Returns for 2025. The mechanism was established by theGreek National Commission for Human Rights (GNCHR). 
• Reference to Issue 1/2026 of the Asylum Case Law Report, which was published in June, featuring extracts from 60 decisions issued during the first half of 2026 by administrative, civil and criminal courts, the Independent Appeals Committees, and the Asylum Service.

More information is available here.