Following requests from their guardians and in cooperation with the organizations responsible for the care and accommodation of unaccompanied minors (UAMs), the Advocacy team of ARSIS -Association for the Social Support of Youth undertook their judicial representation regarding the rejection of applications for international protection and the subsequent withdrawal/cancellation of asylum seeker cards that had been issued to them.
Unfortunately, in our country, the main way in which unaccompanied children can obtain – even temporary – legal documents is by applying for international protection. In these cases, after the rejection of their asylum applications by the Administration, the children, through their appointed guardians, addressed ARSIS’ legal support and advocacy team, for us to take over their cases before the Administrative Court.
During the interim judicial protection procedure, the Administrative Court of First Instance of Thessaloniki accepted our legal claims. It issued an equal number of positive decisions, despite the recent coming of age of two of them. With these court decisions, the Administration is now ordered to refrain from any action resulting in their forced removal from Greece. In addition, these decisions order the administration to return the asylum cards to them until a final decision is issued on the pending applications for annulment that we have also lodged.
An important element in favor of those who had already reached the age of 18 was, according to the court’s reasoning, either the fact that they attend a Greek school or that they have registered and are now attending it. The relevant decisions are included in the new “Seeking International Protection – A Case Law Handbook”, which will be published shortly.
Since 2020, more than 100 children have been defended before courts in cases related to asylum issues by ARSIS' advocacy team. The "Advocacy" program entitled "Improving Living Conditions for Unaccompanied Minors (UAMs) and Defending their Fundamental Rights" is implemented in collaboration and with the funding of the organization "#GermanDoctors e.V." until March 2025.
For case referrals contact arsis.advocacy@gmail.com and the program coordinator, lawyer, Mr. Kyrmanidis Kostas (tel. 6944207898).