Dana
The interview lasted around 5 hours. I was incredibly tired and, even with an interpreter, I didn’t understand all the questions. I was only offered one break.
My name is Dana, I’m 35 and I’m from the Middle East. I was tortured for converting from Islam to Christianity – so I fled.
I came to the UK to seek refuge because I want to be safe. But first, I had to claim asylum at the Home Office and they had to believe my story.
When I arrived at the Home Office for my interview, I was stressed and I was scared. I knew that I was going to be interviewed but I wasn’t quite sure what to expect.
The room was small, very similar to the types of rooms in detention centres. The chair was fixed to the floor so you couldn’t move. It felt intimidating.
- Dana
I found it particularly stressful to tell my story because my interviewer was Muslim. I could see it in their face that they felt uncomfortable when I was talking about converting from Islam. It was uncomfortable for me, too.
I tried to be respectful, to respect them and respect their beliefs - but I also needed to explain what had happened to me. The whole situation made it much harder for me to open up about what had happened.
It would have been much easier if my interviewer was more neutral.
The interview lasted around 5 hours. I was incredibly tired and, even with an interpreter, I didn’t understand all the questions. I was only offered one break.
If I disclosed information throughout the interview that I may not have disclosed straight away, the interviewer would ask, “Why did you not disclose this at the beginning,” which made it much harder to give the interviewer more parts of my story. I just didn’t feel comfortable at all.
I’m still waiting for my asylum decision. As I don’t know the decision yet, anxiety and stress is with me every day.
Download the report
‘Beyond Belief’ is a new report into the experience of the asylum interview of torture survivors seeking asylum in the UK. It calls for fundamental culture change at the Home Office.
For people fleeing persecution, the stakes of an asylum interview with the Home Office are extraordinarily high. It is the primary opportunity for survivors to explain what happened to them and why are afraid to return to their home country. If it is done badly, it can mean that someone is sent back to torture and persecution.