Evaluation of changes to the General Asylum Process

The changes were made in a hectic time when all capacity had to be deployed to handle the large number of applicants. Because of this the potential of the changes has not been completely used. But the evaluation shows that everyone concerned have trust in the application. 

Evaluation of the three main changes

In its evaluation the IND evaluated the three main changes to the asylum process:
1)    Combining the registration interview and first interview;
2)    Formalising the registration interview and asking for the reasons for applying for asylum during
        the registration interview;
3)    The possibility to extend the General Asylum Process (AA) in advance by three days to the AA+.
         We explain the main result of each change. 

Combining the registration interview and first interview

The registration is held in the registration phase. The registration phase is followed by the rest and preparation time (in Dutch: rust en voorbereidingstijd, or RVT), after which the General Asylum Process (AA) starts. Previously the AA started with the first interview. Questions were asked in both the registration and first interview about the identity, nationality and travel route. This was a duplication of the process. To remove the duplication of the process, the registration interview has been formalised and included in legislation and the first interview has been abolished.

Abolition of the first interview results in very concrete savings: on average two hours per case for both IND staff members and interpreters. From two interviews to one is also more pleasant for the applicants because much of the same information was asked for in both interviews. The timely availability of investigation results in relation to the origin of the asylum seeker and documents is mentioned as a bottleneck. Earlier it was then possible to deal with this in the first interview. It is now extra important to have this information available on time, before the registration interview takes place. If this does not succeed, it is discussed further in the AA (the more detailed interview), which goes at the expense of the time to ask for reasons for applying for asylum. 

Formal registration interview with reasons for applying for asylum

Formalisation of the registration phase means that after identification and registration by the Aliens Police (AVIM) each applicant must have a registration interview. By formalising the registration phase, the possibility was removed to shift the questions from the registration interview to a first interview. At the same time, there is some flexibility in the timing of the registration interview, as nothing has been laid down about when exactly this must take place. Asking for the reasons for applying for asylum during the registration interview is going well, according to stakeholders. The reasons for applying for asylum are however still not often used to apply the extended AA process (AA+). All stakeholders do expect that the AA+ can have added value for the IND process and the third-country nationals themselves.

Extension of the General Asylum Process (AA+)

The aim of the introduction of the AA+ was to prevent a case from moving on to the Extended Asylum Process (in Dutch: Verlengde Asielprocedure, or VA). If fewer cases move on to the VA, this will have a positive effect on the number of outstanding applications. In addition it will help to shorten processing times. In this way, applicants will not have to wait longer than necessary for a decision and will also obtain clarity sooner about when this decision will come.

Both IND staff members and cooperating organisations endorse the aims of the AA+ and see potential in this change. Stakeholders say that they think that the reasons for applying for asylum will provide a good reference point for dealing efficiently with asylum cases. In the evaluation period however, little use had yet been made of this possibility and the AA+ was applied only in exceptional cases. According to them, because of the limited use of the AA+, its intended effects did not occur sufficiently. The procedure has meanwhile been changed, and the instruction is to make use of the AA+ sooner.

About the evaluation

The IND conducted the evaluation. Besides the Central Agency for the Reception of Asylum Seekers (COA) and the Repatriation and Departure Service (DT&V), the Dutch Council for Refugees, the Legal Aid Board, the Netherlands Bar (NOvA) and Nidos (national agency responsible for family supervision and guardianship for unaccompanied minor foreign nationals) were involved.