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<p>All asylum interviews are carried out by an impartial interviewing officer.</p><p>All
interpreters engaged by the Home Office must demonstrate they have the required skills
and qualifications. They are also bound by a “Code of Conduct” to ensure minimum standards
for interpreting and behaviour. Home Office policy and guidance ensures that in the
event of interpreters or interviews falling short of those standards, it would not
adversely affect an individual’s asylum claim.</p><p>Interviewing Officers are encouraged
to provide feedback on the performance of interpreters, using specifically designed
monitoring forms. Interviews may also be monitored for training and security purposes.
Increased use of technologies, such as interviewing by video conferencing facilities,
are being trialled to increase efficiency and transform the asylum process. Currently
the majority of interviews are conducted face to face.</p><p>We have recently introduced
digital interviewing capability across the asylum casework operational as part of
the wider Home Office digital transformation programme, which aims for the department
to become ‘digital by default’. We are aiming to digitally record all asylum interviews
and provide claimants and their legal representative with a digital recording of their
interview in addition to a written transcript. Claimants who do not want their interview
to be audio recorded and provide reasonable explanation for this will be exempt from
the recording requirement.</p>
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