Despite research on interviewing in the asylum context, this study was the first to examine how the interview participants (interviewer, interpreter and asylum seeker) perceive the interview. We found that while 96.5% of interviewers preferred open questions, 39.5% of interpreters preferred closed. Half of the asylum seekers reported that the questions were difficult to understand; three fourths of the asylum seekers reported that it felt uncomfortable to disclose their experiences, and 43.0% were unsatisfied with how their account was translated. Overall, the current findings help us address weaknesses in interview quality (i.e., asylum seekers misunderstanding) to facilitate valid asylum evaluations.

Rapport building is crucial within interviews, but little is understood about rapport in the asylum context. Within this research we 1) surveyed interviewers and interpreters regarding their perceptions of rapport building 2) explored how rapport building is apparent in interview transcripts. Through thematic analysis we identified three themes from our survey data: interview atmosphere, rapport building efforts and challenges to rapport building. Officials and interpreters reported both practical and interpersonal challenges to rapport building. Rapport was built using empathy and expectation managements. These efforts were not often apparent in the interview transcripts, demonstrating the need for further research and training.

Forensic experts hold certain myths about cognitive bias, but little is known about this in the asylum context. We aim to investigate asylum officials' beliefs about cognitive bias, how experience and training affect these beliefs, and how they implement measures to minimize its influence. We will survey asylum officials from Finland, Switzerland, etc.  We hypothesize that officials will endorse myths like the illusion of control, bias blind spot, etc. about cognitive bias. Also, we expect training to reduce this tendency. This is the first step in developing training programs to minimize the influence of cognitive bias in the asylum context.

The assessment of credibility in an asylum interview plays a central role in the final decision to grant an individual international protection. A false negative decision in this context could have devastating life consequences for an asylum seeker. In many countries the system is under-resourced and operates within a culture of disbelief. Technology is rapidly being implemented to assist with little transparency. The papers in this symposium address what can be done to improve the fairness and quality of decision making in the asylum context. In this discussion, I will draw out what we can learn from each of them.