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In line with UNHCR’s supervisory role (as set out in Article 35 of the 1951 Convention), the previous UN High Commissioner for Refugees Ruud Lubbers, during his visit to the UK in October 2003, offered UNHCR’s expertise to work with the Home Office on improving further the quality of first instance decision-making. Following this offer, and further discussions with the Home Office exploring how best to structure and implement a UNHCR contribution to UK first instance decision-making, the Quality Initiative project was established.
UNHCR hopes that the Quality Initiative project will have a positive influence on asylum procedures and first instance decision-making. UNHCR’s role in this regard is, without prejudice to other initiatives, aimed at further raising standards in first instance procedures and UNHCR’s contribution aims to be complementary to other mechanisms that ensure due process and fairness in asylum procedures.
Four reports setting out UNHCR’s findings and detailing recommendations have been supplied to the Minister for Nationality, Immigration and Citizenship on a confidential basis to date. These findings have highlighted a number of causes for concern, focusing in particular on the application of the refugee definition, the approach to establishing the facts (‘credibility’) and the conduct of interviews. The recommendations made in UNHCR’s reports have covered recruitment, training & accreditation, identification and management of stress, interviews, use of interpreters, provision of COI and guidance, targets, assessment and monitoring of decisions and interviews.
The reports have been welcomed by the Minister and the majority of UNHCR’s recommendations have been accepted.
UNHCR continues to work with the Border and Immigration Agency on the implementation of its recommendations, and related initiative to improve the quality of first instance decision making.
The Minister has published all of UNHCR’s reports on the Quality Initiative to date.
For more information about the Quality Initiative Project please contact us
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