6. Interview Techniques

When an asylum seeker enters a country and applies for asylum, the asylum authority in that country has to assess if the asylum seeker meets the requirements for protection. In other words, to reach a correct assessment of the applicant’s claims, the asylum seeker must be interviewed by the asylum authority (a case officer). During the interview the case officer shall examine the applicant’s claims for asylum.

The objective of the training in Interview Techniques is therefore to provide participants with the necessary skills to conduct an interview in order to receive all information needed to determine refugee status, and to conduct the interview in an appropriate and respectful manner.

Target group: Case officers.
Entry level: Knowledge in International Refugee Law and Human Rights as well as Subsidiary Protection. Participants must have observed at least 5 asylum application interviews.
Available languages: English and French.

Content

This module provides skills on an initial level about interview techniques. Taking notes and compiling a report will be part of the training as well as how to deal with interpreters.

Objectives

At the end of the training participants will be able to:

• Use specific interview techniques.
• Prepare an interview.
• Achieve a good balance between the form and the content in an interview (i.e. to gather specific information and to be able to steer the interview).
• Importance of asking asylum seekers about contradictions as a way to clarify inconsistency.
• Recognise vulnerable or traumatised persons and to involve a specialist interviewer where appropriate.
• Take notes during the interview and finalise them in a report.
• Deal with interpreters and other third parties.
• Deal with cultural differences and gender aspects.

At the end of the training participants will be aware of:

• The context of the interview (i.e. the role of interpreters, interviewers and the asylum seeker’s dependant position).
• Their own attitudes.
• The effect the case officer’s own actions and attitudes may have on the asylum seeker as well as the interview process.
• That the primary task for case officers is to impartially gather the required information and treat the asylum seeker with respect.

Methods

Self-studies online comprising case studies, exercises, self-assessment tests and written assignments, combined with a face-to-face session which goes further into the topics in discussions and group exercises. 

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