By Sheila Cross | Team Manager
OUR SERVICES
During this reporting period, our lawyers have been managing 94 cases ( 55 new, 19 resolved and 20 ongoing), involving clients of 25 nationalities across 28 locations and requiring interpretation and translation in 10 languages. Managing this caseload requires sustained coordination, interpretation, and legal follow-up.
Despite funding constraints and a more restrictive operating environment, ASsIST has continued to provide:
CASE ILLUSTRATION
A Sudanese family of four sought assistance after arriving in Greece from Sudan via Libya. Following a review of their circumstances, ASsIST supported their transfer to more suitable accommodation and referral to the Independent Asylum Office for Vulnerable Persons. When their asylum interviews were unexpectedly brought forward by almost a year, our legal team organised urgent preparation sessions and accompanied both parents to their interviews. Fifteen days later, the family was granted international protection and is now receiving support with residence permits and travel documents. [Case study attached].
ARRIVALS AND LOSS OF LIFE
Arrivals by sea and land to Greece have continued through 2025 and 2026, including increased crossings toward Crete and the southern islands.
By 21 June 2026, a further 14,814 people had arrived (11,675 by sea and 3,139 by land). Of those arriving by sea, 54,65% [8,082 people] arrived via the extremely dangerous route from the north coast of Africa, for the most part from Libya. These figures illustrate the scale of arrivals, but not the complexity of the legal, practical and personal challenges many people face upon arrival.
ASsIST maintains a deliberately low public profile. Our limited resources are best dedicated to serving clients on a careful, confidential, case-by-case basis.
During the same period, implementation of the EU Pact advanced further, and discussions concerning expanded return measures and accelerated procedures continued at both EU and national level.
In this increasingly complex environment, access to accurate information and experienced legal guidance remains essential for asylum seekers and recognised refugees seeking to understand and exercise their rights.
DEVELOPMENTS IMPACTING ON OUR CLIENTS
2026 continues to be a year in which access to information, legal assistance and other essential services is becoming increasingly difficult for people seeking protection in Greece and, increasingly, across the European Union.
During the reporting period, implementation of the Pact advanced further at both EU and national levels. On 12 June 2026, the European Union confirmed the commencement date for implementation of the Pact, while on 17 June agreement was reached on new measures intended to strengthen return procedures across the European Union. These developments are expected to have significant implications for asylum procedures, detention and returns in the years ahead.
Greece remains among the Member States furthest advanced in implementing these reforms.
For a fuller discussion of recent legal and policy developments, see Newsletter No. 5 attached.
OUR NEWSLETTERS
ASsIST has now published five newsletters in 2026. Newsletter No. 5 is attached and Newsletter No. 6 is currently in preparation. These publications provide accessible analysis of legal and policy developments affecting asylum seekers and refugees in Greece and across Europe.
LOOKING AHEAD
As implementation of the EU Pact continues and national policies evolve, access to fair process is likely to remain uneven and unpredictable. At the same time, civil society organisations face reduced funding opportunities and increasingly harsh administrative and regulatory constraints.
In this environment, ASsIST chooses to maintain a low profile while our Team remains committed to providing independent information and legal assistance to those seeking protection in Greece.
Your support enables us to continue providing independent information, legal guidance, and procedural assistance where it is most needed.
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