Before the 2nd interview with the Immigration and Naturalisation Service (IND), you will be given a lawyer. You do not have to choose them yourself, but you will get one automatically. About a day after the briefing by VluchtelingenWerk you will have an interview with your lawyer. You will get this lawyer from the

Your lawyer will discuss with you the 1st interview with the IND and help you prepare for the 2nd interview. You will also have an interpreter at the talks with your lawyer to translate your conversation. The lawyer needs documents from you to help you as much as possible. It is therefore important that during the waiting period you collect as many documents as possible that support your identity and your refugee story.

Prior to the 2nd interview with the

To travel to the lawyer, you can ask COA for a day pass for public transport. With this day pass you can travel to your lawyer free of charge. You always need a valid ticket when travelling to or from your reception centre. 

A nurse from the independent organisation

Read below about what happens in the medical examination:

• During the interview, an IND employee asks questions about the reasons why you fled.

• The IND employee will ask further questions based on your answers.

• You can be interviewed by an IND employee of your own sex if you wish. The IND employee will ask you about this during your application interview.

• Be honest and explain in detail and clearly about why you fled.

• Explain why you personally need protection. The IND is aware of the general situation in your country. Therefore, it is important that you explain why you are in danger.

• Sometimes it is difficult to talk about your flight. Explain this clearly to the IND if you find it difficult to talk about anything or if there is something you do not remember.

• If you have any scars, physical or psychological complaints related to your flight, tell the IND this. The IND may offer you a medical examination.

• A

  VluchtelingenWerk Nederland
  employee may be present at the interview if you wish. VWN will support you and, just like the IND, will compile a report of the interview. VWN may have written down different information than the IND. Sometimes this information is important. If your asylum application is rejected and you want to appeal, VWN's report can be used in the appeal.

• The IND will compile a report of the interview. The day after the interview, discuss the IND report with your lawyer. Tell your lawyer if any information is missing or incorrect in the IND report.

The IND employee asks the questions in Dutch. The interpreter translates them for you. The interpreter also translates your answers into Dutch. The interpreter is independent, does not work for the IND and has no influence on the decision about your asylum application. As interpreters are very busy, you might get an interpreter who speaks a different dialect. Tell me immediately if the interpreter and you cannot understand each other properly. It is important that no misunderstandings arise because the interpreter and you do not understand each other well.