Substantive Interview

Preparing for the Interview

The most important thing is to write a Witness Statement (personal statement) and submit it BEFORE the interview.

What to include:

A chronological description: who, what, when, where
Why you cannot return home
All evidence (translated into English by a certified translator)

📧 Send it to asylumoperationsstakeholderengagement@homeoffice.gov.uk — include your HO Reference Number.

At the Interview

Answer in your native language — an interpreter is provided free of charge
Speak clearly and slowly
Spell out important names and dates
If the interpreter makes a mistake — say so IMMEDIATELY
Ask them to read back what was recorded
After the interview you have 5 working days to submit additional documents

AI in Your Case (Important!)

The Home Office uses artificial intelligence to process cases:

ACS (Asylum Case Summarisation)

Reads the interview transcript (50+ pages) and creates a summary for the caseworker. In 9% of cases it makes serious errors.

APS (Asylum Policy Search)

Searches for information about your country. It may find outdated or inaccurate information.

ALWAYS request a copy of the interview transcript and check every page for errors.

Red Flags

Contact a lawyer immediately if:

The decision contains information you did not say
Dates or facts are wrong
You were refused due to "contradictions" that didn't exist
The decision references an outdated country situation
Important parts of your story are missing from the decision

Subject Access Request (SAR)

You have the right to request ALL information held about you, including how AI processed your case. This is free. The Home Office must respond within 1 month.

Write: "I am making a Subject Access Request under UK GDPR. Please provide all information about how AI was used in my case." + your HO reference number.