On September 18, 2013 the opening of the Seminar «Interviewing techniques and credibility assessment in the context of interviewing of persons seeking protection» took place in the Academy of the MIA of Belarus. Specialists among practitioners dealing with interviewing of persons seeking protection were present at the event. Representatives of the Department on Citizenship and Migration of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Belarus, Region and Minsk city Departments on Citizenship and Migration, Minsk City Bar Association, Public Association «Belarusian Movement of Medical Workers» as well as members of the UNHCR Representation in the Republic of Belarus were among the participants.
After the introductory speeches made by Jean Yves Bouchardy, the UNHCR Representative in Belarus, Alexei Begun, Head of the Department on Citizenship and Migration of the MIA of Belarus, and Vyacheslav Stodolnik, the Acting Head of the International Training Centre on Migration and Combating Trafficking in Human Beings, the participants emphasized a number of problems they come across in the context of interviewing of persons seeking protection. Problems with translation and interpreters, questions of keeping the conversation “on track”, “closed nature of an applicant”, difficulties in revealing the nature of the problem, as well as fear to forget to ask the most important thing were among them.
In the framework of a 3-day seminar the participants will get acquainted with the main theoretic aspects of the international protection and refugee status determination procedure. They will also take part in simulation interview with the claimant, having prepared necessary country of origin information and having considered claimants’ cases.
Oksana Babich, Assistance Protection Officer of the UNHCR Regional Representation for Belarus, Moldova and Ukraine, and Irina Sherbakova, Protection Officer of the UNHCR Regional Representation in the Russian Federation, are present at the event in character of the international experts.
The seminar will continue till September 20, 2013.