Source: IND
Article

The 2nd interview with the IND

Last updated: 04/02/2025, 13:02

You have the 2nd interview with the Immigration and Naturalisation Service (IND). This is an important interview for your asylum application. You explain in detail why you fled. You will be appointed a lawyer and undergo a medical examination.

You will get a lawyer before the 2nd interview with the IND

Before the 2nd interview with the

Immigration and Naturalisation Service (IND)
you will get a lawyer. You do not have to choose this one yourself. You will get this lawyer from the
Legal Aid Board (RvR)
. About a day after the information provided by VluchtelingenWerk Nederland (VWN), you have a meeting with your lawyer. The lawyer has experience with the asylum procedure. You do not have to pay for the lawyer. Would you rather arrange a lawyer yourself? That is also possible. The lawyer must inform the Legal Aid Board that they will be your lawyer.

The lawyer discusses with you the 1st interview with the IND and helps you prepare for the 2nd interview

Prior to the 2nd interview with the

IND
, you will have an interview with the lawyer. The lawyer will discuss with you the 1st interview with the IND and help you prepare for the 2nd interview. It does not matter if the lawyer speaks the same language as you. There is always an interpreter at your appointments.

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. 

You will have a medical examination before the 2nd interview

A nurse from the independent organisation

MediFirst
examines whether you are physically and mentally healthy enough for the 2nd interview with the
IND
.

Read below about what happens in the medical examination:

The medical examination

This is what you need to know to prepare for the 2nd interview

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

  • The IND employee will continue to ask about your answers.

  • You can be interviewed by an IND employee of your own gender if you wish. The IND employee will ask you this during your 1st 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.

  • Do you have scars, physical or psychological complaints related to your flight? Tell the IND about this. The IND may offer you a medical examination.

  • A

    VluchtelingenWerk Nederland (VWN)
    employee may be present at the interview if you wish. VWN supports you and, like the IND, makes 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.

There is an interpreter who speaks your language at the interview with the IND

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.


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The information you will find on this platform comes from the human rights organisation VluchtelingenWerk Nederland, in cooperation with its partners.
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