This paper assesses the current asylum system in Greece and notes developments in particular since the last publication of UNHCR’s Observations on the current situation of asylum in Greece and the M.S.S. v Greece and Belgium judgment.
Fonte: UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)
This paper assesses the current asylum system in Greece and notes developments in particular since the last publication of UNHCR’s Observations on the current situation of asylum in Greece and the M.S.S. v Greece and Belgium judgment. Over the last two years Greece and neighbouring Mediterranean states have been experiencing an increase in the number of refugees and migrants arriving by sea, many seeking to move on to other EU states. In 2014, around 43,500 refugees and migrants arrived by sea to Greece, a 280 per cent increase from the previous year. The majority of people come from Syria (around 60 per cent), followed by Afghans, Somalis and Eritreans. This evidently represents a very complex situation with many intersecting challenges that need to be addressed both by Greece and by the European Union at large. This paper focuses in particular on the asylum system in Greece; it does not address the broader burden-sharing issues which also need attention.