In a statement released on May 9, 2017, 15 nongovernmental humanitarian organizations (NGOs) urged the Greek government to immediately reverse the recent policy excluding asylum-seekers on the Greek islands who appeal negative asylum decisions from the possibility of participating later on in the International Organization for Migration’s (IOM) Assisted Voluntary Return and Reintegration (AVRR) program and forcing those who wish to participate to forego their right to appeal.