The Home Office has announced that it plans to bring in commercial contractors to carry out asylum interviews and gather evidence for claims, which are used to determine whether applicants should be granted refugee status.
Reacting to the news, UKLGIG Executive Director Leila Zadeh said:
“We’re extremely concerned to hear the Home Office is planning to outsource asylum interviews. The most important part of an asylum claim is telling your story and explaining why you believe it’s not safe for you to go back to your country of origin. It’s hard to imagine that commercial contractors will be well equipped to deal with the complexities and sensitivities of LGBTQI+ asylum claims. We urge the Home Office to reverse this decision and ensure they recruit and train their own staff to carry out interviews and decisions on asylum claims.”
