Do you want to share your experiences in asylum courts with us to improve asylum adjudication in Europe?
We are asking people who have been through the asylum appeal process, or who are working on asylum appeals and with asylum appellants in Europe to tell us about their experiences of the process. Anyone who has experience with the asylum appeal system is welcome to participate in this study.
Please do not hesitate to contact us if you would like to participate in the interviews, and/or require any further information.
WHAT WOULD HAPPEN IF YOU DECIDE TO GIVE AN INTERVIEW?
During the interview participants will be asked to share their experiences and perspectives on the asylum appeal process. The interview will last for approximately 45 minutes and will be audio recorded for later transcription.
If you are a current of former asylum seeker who experiences asylum appeals in court, we would ask questions about, for example, ‘background information’; ‘the period leading up to the hearing’; ‘the hearing itself’ and ‘what happened after the hearing’. We might ask you about how you felt before and during your asylum appeal. We might ask you how much of the appeal you understood and whether you thought you were able to take part. We might ask you intimate and personal questions such as questions related to your religion or sexual orientation, if this is relevant for your asylum case.
If you are working with asylum appellants, we would ask questions related to your experience of and perspective on asylum appeal procedures in your country, for example ‘what is your role in asylum appeal procedures’; ‘how do you (in your professional capacity) experience asylum appeal procedures’; ‘in your view what are the positive and negative aspects of asylum appeal procedures, and how could it be improved’; ‘what is your understanding of consistency in asylum appeal procedures, and is it reflected in your experiences’. We might ask you personal questions about your (professional) biography, and your experience working with asylum appellants.
WHAT HAPPENS TO THE INFORMATION I GIVE?
A member of our research team is responsible for listening to the interviews and recording what was said on a digital voice recorder. The interviews will then be transcribed by a member of the ASYFAIR research team, and then read to see if there are patterns in the ways professionals experience and view asylum appeals.
You can keep in touch with us about your data. It will be securely stored and transferred, and we will make sure that you cannot be identified from anything that we publish.
The data will be used to write academic research that will be published in academic journals and discussed at academic conferences. In addition, as the study aims to improve asylum adjudication, we may use anonymised data to present to policy makers, the public and the media. The data will not be passed to asylum decision makers or impact on your asylum claim or your subsequent claims and cases.
We may make a fully anonymised version of the data available for reuse in future research projects via a secure data archive. This data will be anonymised and will not include any information that could identify you to others. The anonymised research information on this secure archive will be kept for ten years because that is what is required by the University of Exeter. After this time it will be securely disposed of.
ARE THERE ANY RISKS?
We do not think there are any significant risks due to giving us an interview. We have asked a group of people the questions we would be asking you, and they told us they were very straightforward and appropriate. The trained and experienced ASYFAIR research team aims to create a relaxed, friendly and professional environment. The team is very happy to discuss any concerns you may have.
ARE THERE ANY BENEFITS FROM TAKING PART?
There are no direct short-term benefits to you for taking part in this research. However this study may help improve the life of asylum seekers by drawing attention to what can be improved about the system of asylum appeals.
HOW WE PROTECT YOUR PRIVACY
All the information we get from you is strictly confidential, and all researchers working on the study will respect your privacy. Some of the data that we collect from you through the interview might be sensitive data and we will therefore store it and treat it carefully. We will ensure that there will be no information in our published research or in the data available to other researchers in the future that could let anyone work out who you are.
We will only use your data in the ways with your consent, and for carrying out research in the public interest, in accordance with current Data Protection legislation. We will not share your personal data with anyone outside the ASYFAIR research team, and we will not transfer your personal data to a country outside of the European Economic Area (and the UK) unless that country ensures an adequate level of protection. All collected data, data analysis and data storage are subject to the EU General Data Protection Regulation (EU) 2016/679.
If you have any concerns about data protection, please contact the data protection officer at the University of Exeter (dataprotection@exeter.ac.uk).
Further information on data protection is available here.
WHAT HAPPENS IF YOU CHANGE YOUR MIND?
If you decide to do an interview you can later change your mind and withdraw the information you provided at any time. Equally, you are under no obligation to answer specific questions – just let us know that you do not want to provide answers to a posed question. There are absolutely no penalties for stopping. You do not have to give a reason and we will respect your decision.
If you want to withdraw, you can tell us in person during the course of your interview or at the end, or you can contact us after the interview in various ways: online on our website, by emailing the researchers, by emailing the ethics officer at the University of Exeter, by post, or by phoning us.
Further Information to Download
ASYFAIR Interview Participation Flyer
Interview Information Sheet – Professionals
Interview Information Sheet – Asylum Seekers
You can find further information and info sheets to download in German, French, Italian, Arabic, Urdu, Pashto and Farsi. Please follow the links in the main menu or sidebar for information in various languages.
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