To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that asylum caseworkers are trained to assess the claims of people who are seeking asylum on the grounds of persecution relating to religion or belief.
Answered on
27 June 2016
The Home Office carefully considers all asylum claims on their individual merits, including claims based on religious persecution. We grant protection to those who genuinely need it in accordance with our international obligations under the Refugee Convention and the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR).
Published guidance on the interviewing and consideration of asylum claims is regularly reviewed and takes into consideration the views of stakeholders, including religious groups. The current training and support available for asylum caseworkers includes a UNHCR endorsed Foundation Training Programme. This, and follow-on courses, covers all aspects of the asylum interview and decision making process, including the assessment of credibility and country information in religious based claims. Real-life case studies and role-play are used throughout the training programme to reinforce knowledge and understanding of the issues.
We are currently carefully considering the APPG report and it's recommendations and will provide a response in due course.