Hosted by www.ijjo.org

■
9.9 The interviewer should always ensure that
opinion can give rise to a need for international
an unaccompanied or separated child fully
protection under the Refugee Convention.
understands any interpreter being used in the
screening interview and the role which he or she
■
9.15 No unaccompanied or separated child
will play at the interview and that the child is
should have his or her application for asylum
also happy about the gender and nationality or
refused purely on the grounds that the Statement
ethnic or tribal origins of the interpreter.
of Evidence Form was not returned within the
requisite 28 days. Instead the child should be given
■
9.10 Interpreters should be specially trained to
a further opportunity to comply with the process.
interpret for unaccompanied or separated asylum
seeking children.
■
9.16 The syllabus for the Accreditation Scheme
run by the Law Society and the Legal Services
■
9.11 Where an unaccompanied or separated
Commission should include a basic understanding
child appears to be so traumatized by his or her
of the specific issues relating to the representation
past experiences that the child is not able to dis-
of unaccompanied or separated children claiming
close the extent of past persecution or future
asylum.
fears, the asylum determination process should
be suspended until an appropriately qualified
■
9.17 The Law Society and Legal Services Com-
and experienced psychiatrist or psychologist has
mission should also establish an accredited
certified that the child is fit to provide a detailed
Children’s Panel, whose members when admitted
statement in support of the asylum application.
to the Panel will be entitled to enhanced remuneration
for representing unaccompanied or
■
9.12 A legal guardian should be appointed for
separated children.
every unaccompanied or separated child to ensure
SEEKING ASYLUM ALONE | UNITED KINGDOM
192
■
■
that the child gains access to a suitably qualified
and experienced legal representative able to assist
the child in completing the Statement of Evidence
Form within the required 28-day time period.
9.13 Part C6 of the Statement of Evidence Form
(which deals with applications on the basis of
membership of a particular social group) should
be amended to include specific reference to child
trafficking, female circumcision, forced marriage,
and the recruitment of child soldiers.
9.14 The section of the Statement of Evidence
Form which relates to political opinion should
specifically refer to the fact that a well founded
fear of persecution based on imputed political
Chapter 10
The Determination Process
Use of interviews to challenge credibility
of applicant
The U.K. has amended its immigration rules to
encompass the right of unaccompanied or separated
children to participate in the asylum determination
process. However, according to our research it is not
in the best interests of unaccompanied or separated
children to be interviewed about the substance of their
applications for asylum, because the Immigration
and Nationality Directorate use asylum interviews
to inquisitorially challenge credibility rather than to
clarify or expand on the information contained in the
Hosted by www.ijjo.org