Preparing for the Asylum interview

**WHAT IS A REFUGEE?**

A refugee is someone who is outside his or her country and unable to return to it due to a wellfounded fear of persecution.

The possible reasons for persecution are race, religion, nationality, or membership of a particular social group or political opinion

Membership of a particular social group includes:

* Membership of a trade union

* Membership of a group of persons whose defining characteristics is their belonging to the female or the male sex or having particular sexual orientation.

PURPOSE OF THE INTERVIEW

The interview is your opportunity to tell your own, personal story about what happened to you in your home country and why you decided to come to Ireland.

It is very important to be well prepared for it.

REGISTER WITH THE REFUGEE LEGAL SERVICES

You should register with the “Refugee Legal Service” (RLS) immediately. This service is confidential, independent of the Department of Justice and Equality (DOJ) and is there to help you.

Free legal aid is available to asylum seekers in Ireland through the Refugee Legal Service to assist at all stages of the asylum process. This includes at the time of the initial application, first interview, appeals and advice on deportation. Alternatively, you may also engage the services of a solicitor on a commercial basis at your own expense. You may also consult with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees.

The Irish Refugee Council Independent Law Centre also provides early legal advice and representation to those in the early stages of the asylum process.

You should seek legal advice as early as possible in the process for asylum.

### Refugee Legal Service

The Refugee Legal Service is an office established by the Legal Aid Board to provide confidential and independent legal services to persons applying for asylum in Ireland. Legal aid and advice is also provided in appropriate cases on deportation orders. The Refugee Legal Service provides a confidential service to all persons who contact it. To qualify for legal aid you must pass a means test.

The Refugee Legal Service has offices in Dubin, Cork, Galway and Ennis. Phone RLS on 01 646 9600 or see RLS website for more information on RLS services.

If you travel for a legal consultation with the Refugee Legal Service, the Community Welfare Officer will give you funding for the travel expenses. In some cases this is only after you come back from the consultation. You need to bring back a letter of proof from your Caseworker that you have been to legal consultation with the Refugee Legal Service and also all travel receipts.

You can contact your caseworker from the Refugee Legal Service anytime with any questions. You should make contact if you change address, or if you receive any correspondence from the DOJ

If you have not received legal advice before your interview, New Horizon may be able to give you a letter stating this. Present it to the interviewer on the day of your interview. This letter will then be enclosed in your case file.

IMPORTANT PREPARATION

If you do not have a copy of your “84- Question-Questionaire”, that you filled out shortly after arrival,contact the DOJ immediately, and ask for a copy.

Write down your own case story. Be as detailed as possible. Try to remember every little incident that happened. Maybe it seemed irrelevant at the time, now it is important. Try to remember exact dates of all events and incidents. Write your story exactly in the order as it happened.

Check the questions and your answers to the “84-Question-Questionnaire that you had to fill out after you arrived in Ireland. These questions and answers will be reviewed and checked for truth in your interview.

Question 84 (why did you come to Ireland seeking refugee status?) will be asked again by the interviewer.

Make sure that your story is consistent with the answers you gave to the questionnaire. If you have made a mistake in the questionnaire tell the interviewer that early in the interview.

Read your story out aloud to yourself everyday. Even though you will not be able to tell your story exactly this way in the interview, this is your chance to build up your self confidence.

Make a photocopy of every document or letter and every form that you fill out before you send it to the DOJ.

Try to collect as much written proof as possible about your claim for asylum ( for example, death certificate from family member/friend, membership paper of a particular union, qualification papers,references).

If possible and only if 100% safe, you can contact family or friends in your home country to request any of these documents. Be very careful when doing.

Collect specific information about your home country and the political situation at the time you fled. Make sure it relates to your own case.

You can collect this information from:

* Books in the library
* The daily newspaper (available in the library).

* Internet (available in the library)

If you need help researching information ask any New Horizon member who will be happy to assist you.

The interviewer will ask you questions like:

* What caused you to leave your country?

* Why did you not move into a different part of your country instead?

* Why did you leave your country last month and not one year ago?

Be sure to have clear answers to these questions.

ATTENDING THE INTERVIEW

When you receive your interview date, inform your community welfare officer (CWO). He or she will give you the money for your trip to Dublin before you go.In the letter with the interview date, you are asked to fill out a confirmation form. It is important to send it back to the DOJ.

If you need an interpreter make sure to indicate this on the form. Every reasonable effort will be made to provide an interpreter in your language.

You can request in writing to be accompanied by an observer. This request may be refused by the DOJ. This observer IS NOT a legal representative and is not allowed to speak during the interview.

You can request in advance an interviewer and interpreter of your own gender. If your story involves details that you would not want to discuss with a member of the opposite sex you should request this. This request cannot be refused by the DOJ.

If you have children make arrangements for someone to look after them while you are at your interview. The DOJ does not provide a person to take care of your child during that time.