Credibility assessment implementation review completed

The implementation review examined the impact of the new credibility assessment and the application of risk profiles and served to identify and address potential problems and unintended effects in operational practice at an early stage. 

Based on the findings of the implementation review, the Minister for Asylum and Migration sees no reason to amend the credibility assessment. However, the IND will continue to emphasise the importance of giving due consideration to an applicant’s frame of reference in response to concerns raised by advocacy groups.

More intuitive and better substantiated

The new credibility assessment has brought the IND’s working methods more closely into line with European legislation and with practice in other EU Member States. The IND has also introduced greater structure into the assessment process, making assessments more intuitive and better substantiated. The IND first assesses any documents issued by official bodies that support the grounds for the asylum application. In some cases, these documents alone are sufficient to establish the credibility of the applicant’s asylum account. Where no documents are available, the IND assesses the credibility of the applicant’s account in accordance with the conditions set out in the EU Qualification Directive. In doing so, it also considers what may reasonably be expected of the applicant. 
The new assessment method will not lead to different outcomes in individual cases. According to IND staff, applications that would have been granted under the previous operational guidance are also granted under the new guidance.
 

Individual assessment

The risk profile system will also remain unchanged. Greater emphasis is now placed on the individual risk faced by an applicant on returning to their country of origin, with the risk profile used as an aid in the assessment. The IND also factors in country information. 

Previously, the IND applied a policy on risk groups and vulnerable minorities, under which membership of a risk group alone could increase an applicant’s chance of qualifying for asylum protection. 
Although staff have questioned the added value of the risk profiles, most believe that they result in a fairer assessment of whether an applicant would genuinely have reason to fear returning to their country of origin. 

The IND will also make relevant country-of-origin information more accessible internally, enabling staff to take it more fully into account when assessing an asylum account. This applies specifically to information on the circumstances that may increase or reduce the risk faced by an asylum seeker who falls within a particular risk profile. Representatives of applicants have also stressed the importance of accurate, clear, up-to-date and accessible country information.

Greater transparency needed

Stakeholders such as the Dutch Council for Refugees, Nidos and asylum lawyers would like greater clarity on how the IND weighs the various elements of its assessment. They also report inconsistent quality, attributed to excessive discretion given to decision-makers. The IND does not accept this criticism.

In the IND’s view, the new working method actually provides greater insight into how assessments are made. All relevant facts and circumstances are taken into account, ensuring that the specific circumstances of each individual case are given full consideration.