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this research believe that it is not in the best inter-
the Child. 4 However, if the child’s ability to give such
ests of unaccompanied or separated children to be
evidence is in doubt or there are concerns about
interviewed about the substance of their applications
whether the interview process would assist in clari-
for asylum, as the Immigration and Nationality
fying the child’s application, his or her views could
Directorate primarily uses asylum interviews to
equally well be put forward by his or her legal rep-
challenge the credibility of the asylum seeker and
resentative or guardian, thus enabling the child’s
not to clarify or expand on the information con-
views to be appropriately taken into account in the
tained in the asylum seeker’s statement of evidence
determination process. 5
form (SEF). Because of this they believe that such
The Immigration and Nationality Directorate
an interview would be likely to cause an unaccom-
did not carry out any research prior to this change
panied or separated child further and unnecessary
of policy into either the benefits or the potential
trauma. This perception was confirmed in part by
adverse effects of interviewing unaccompanied or
the Evaluation Report for the Non-Suspensive
separated children, although it did establish a Non-
Appeals Unaccompanied Asylum Seeking Children’s
Suspensive Appeals 6 Unaccompanied Asylum
Interview Project (NSA UASC Interview Project ) 2
Seeking Children’s Interview Pilot after the change
referred to below. One of its recommendations
in policy was introduced. The terms of reference for
was that in future, training for interviewers should
the research were to:
include input from a reputable child psychologist in
order to enhance the ability of the interviewing case
worker to test an unaccompanied child’s credibility. 3
Some legal practitioners believe that in instances
where an unaccompanied or separated child has the
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test the value of interviewing asylum seeking
children;
deliver a process that provided the opportunity
for the child to be heard;
SEEKING ASYLUM ALONE | UNITED KINGDOM
112
intellectual capacity to give cogent and coherent
answers in an interview and wishes to do so, attendance
by the child at an interview accords with the
principles of the UN Convention on the Rights of
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deliver a process that would elicit further
information on which to assess the merits of
the child’s claim;
develop and test the procedures necessary for
interviewing asylum seeking children; and
obtain feedback from children who had been
interviewed, their representatives and others
involved in the process.
The pilot was run by the Immigration and Nationality
Directorate in Croydon from October to December
2003 and involved 133 unaccompanied or separated
children between the ages of 12 and 17. Two interview
rooms were set aside for the duration of the
Pilot Project and re-painted and provided with
posters and plants. Attendance at the interview was
mandatory and 120 of the 133 children attended. The
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