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This is what the lawyer does for you during the asylum process

Last updated: 19/03/2025, 10:20

Everyone who applies for asylum in the Netherlands is entitled to a free lawyer. This lawyer helps you during the asylum procedure and gives you legal advice. Your lawyer also ensures that your rights are protected.

You are assigned a lawyer as soon as the asylum procedure officially begins

If you apply for asylum in the Netherlands, you will automatically get a free lawyer from the

You do not have to do anything for this yourself. You will see this lawyer for the first time before your asylum procedure officially begins. Your asylum procedure begins when you have your 2nd interview with the Immigration and Naturalisation Service (IND).

Your lawyer will contact you for the 2nd interview with the

. The lawyer will then arrange a personal interview. This may be in your reception centre or at another place, such as an office or a room at the application centre. Sometimes you have this interview by phone or online. Together with your lawyer, you prepare for the interview with the IND. There is always an interpreter at your appointments so that you can understand each other and the lawyer can understand the reason for your flight.

Your lawyer protects your rights during the asylum procedure

Your lawyer is there for you and protects your rights during the asylum procedure. Lawyers in the Netherlands are independent of the government. This means that the lawyer does his best for you and not for the government. A lawyer may only share information about your case with the IND with your permission.

This is what the lawyer will do for you before your interview with the IND

Before you have the 2nd interview with the IND, the lawyer will do the following for you:

Your lawyer will explain how the asylum procedure works and what documents you need to collect to prove your flight story. The

organisation also provides you with free information about the asylum procedure and can help you collect documents.

Together with your lawyer, you will discuss which questions the IND is likely to ask. And how you can tell your flight story as clearly as possible. Your lawyer will also tell you which documents you need to support your flight story. The lawyer is not present during your interview with the IND. Sometimes the lawyer will ask someone from VWN to accompany you to the interview.

Your lawyer will check if all the important documents and information are in your asylum file. VluchtelingenWerk Nederland (VWN) can also help you and your lawyer with this.

This is what the lawyer does for you during the asylum process

During the asylum procedure, the lawyer will do this for you:

The IND makes records of the interviews with you. Your lawyer checks them for accuracy and can add changes if you think something is not written down correctly. The lawyer discusses the report with you and you discuss if there are mistakes in it and if the translation is correct.

When the IND makes a decision on your asylum application, the lawyer explains this and considers whether the decision is legally correct.

If the IND rejects your asylum application, the lawyer will also discuss with you whether it is wise to appeal. The lawyer will help you appeal and can go to court for you if necessary. The lawyer prepares this appeal and sends documents to the court.

This is what the lawyer expects from you

The lawyer also expects several things from you, namely:

The lawyer needs documents and evidence from you to best help you. Documents that show that you are who you are. And that your story is true. The lawyer expects you to collect these documents.

Make sure you can tell your flight story well during the interviews."

Does anything go wrong during the interviews? You always have the right to legal assistance. If you have questions or are uncertain about an interview with the IND, you can discuss this with your lawyer, even if you could not understand the interpreter properly. Or if you feel that the IND employee is not doing something right.

How often do you see or speak to your lawyer

You will see your lawyer at least 3 times, namely before your 2nd interview with the IND, after your 2nd interview with the IND and when the IND has made a decision. Sometimes you will see the lawyer more often, it depends on how complicated your asylum procedure is.

To travel to the lawyer, you can ask the

for a day pass for public transportation (OV). 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.

If you are not satisfied with your lawyer, you can file a complaint

You may feel that your lawyer did not do a good job. For example, because you think your asylum application was rejected because of the lawyer's carelessness. Or because he did not respond or responded too late in your case. It is good to discuss this with your lawyer. If, after talking to your lawyer, you still think that the lawyer did not do their job properly, you can file a complaint. VluchtelingenWerk Nederland (VWN) can help you file a complaint.

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