Greek Council of State Rules Turkey Not a Safe Country for Asylum Seekers

In a decision by the Plenary of the Greek Council of State, it was ruled, by majority, in a closed-door session that the Joint Ministerial Decision (JMD) designating Turkey as a safe country for asylum seekers has been annulled. According to an announcement from the President of the Council of State, ‘the 538595/12.12.2023 JMD must be annulled in part concerning the characterization of Turkey as a safe third country for international protection seekers originating from Syria, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Somalia.’ The Supreme Administrative Court found that the JMD lacked sufficient substantiation for this designation and proceeded to annul it by majority vote. For as long as Turkey does not accept the return of asylum seekers to its territory, applications from individuals originating from these five countries cannot be rejected outright but must be reviewed on their merits. Asylum seekers from these countries will no longer be repatriated to Turkey after crossing into Greece but will instead be examined on a case-by-case basis. Consequently, they will either remain in Greece or be returned to their countries of origin.