Children on the Move in Greece: May – August 2025

In the first half of 2025, Greece saw persistently high arrivals of people on the move, with Crete emerging as the main entry point. Children represent over one-fifth of arrivals, nearly a third of whom are unaccompanied or separated, yet recent government measures—including the suspension of asylum access, extended detention, and forced evictions—have further eroded their rights and protection.

The policy brief highlights the grave risks of refoulement, detention, and disrupted education, alongside mounting restrictions on civil society’s role in safeguarding children. It calls for the urgent reversal of unlawful asylum measures, an end to child detention, safe housing, guaranteed access to education, and protection of NGOs as essential defenders of children’s rights.