“Quality assurance of asylum procedures and free legal aid to vulnerable asylum seekers”

About this project

<p>The project will provide expert support to the Greek Asylum Service and provide free legal aid to vulnerable asylum seekers related to first instance asylum procedures. The following two activities shall be supported:</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Activity 1: Quality assurance support to the asylum procedures in Greece&nbsp;</p> <p>The UNHCR and the Greek State have agreed that the UNHCR shall provide support to the Greek asylum system.&nbsp;</p> <p>Within this framework, the project shall support the UNHCR in providing support to the Asylum Service (AS) for the quality assurance of the procedures at first instance.</p> <p>- contributing to the conduct of status determination made by the Greek authorities’ assessment of asylum claims,&nbsp;</p> <p>- developing operational tools to address the challenges of fair and efficient asylum-procedures in accordance with international and European standards,&nbsp;</p> <p>- ensuring that guidelines and country of origin information are appropriately disseminated and utilized,&nbsp;</p> <p>- supporting the establishment of a quality assurance institutional framework within the Asylum Service (AS),</p> <p>- contributing to the elaboration of Guidance issued by the Quality Department of the AS on complex refugee status determination issues, as well as on examination of claims of specific nationalities</p> <p>In addition to the above activities, the UNHCR shall undertake the monitoring of second instance asylum procedures.&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Activity 2: Legal aid support to asylum seekers in Greece&nbsp;</p> <p>Furthermore, the project will provide for free legal aid to asylum seekers. UNHCR will focus on asylum seekers in detention, urban areas as well as on islands. The scope of the free legal aid supported by UNHCR shall include:</p> <p>- legal counseling and&nbsp; representation within the asylum procedures</p> <p>- challenging administrative acts concerning detention or deportation/return</p> <p>- challenging administrative acts related to treatment of vulnerability (SGBV, UASC etc.)&nbsp;</p> <p>- the further administrative treatment of asylum seekers&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p>