The Greek Forum of Refugees reported that on 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 illegal stay, as the Greek Asylum Service was not in a position to complete the registration of his application for international protection. It was reported that the 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 suspension of asylum registrations following the entry into force of the new legislation implementing the Pact on Migration and Asylum on 12 June 2026. The example, according to the Greek Forum of Refugees, is illustrative of a situation faced by asylum seekers in Greece due to challenges in the practical implementation of the Pact: they face obstacles in accessing the procedure, while simultaneously facing the risk of criminal prosecution and imprisonment for seeking protection.
More information is available here.
- Greek Council for Refugees | Ελληνικό Συμβούλιο για τους Πρόσφυγες (28 July, 2026), [Asylum Seekers Risk Imprisonment Due to the Asylum Service’s Failure to Register Asylum Applications],