You return to your reception centre ("Erstaufnahmeeinrichtung") after filing your application for asylum. The Federal Office for Migration and Refugees ("Bundesamt für Migration und Flüchtlinge", BAMF) will invite you to a second appointment – the personal hearing ("persönliche Anhörung"), which is the most important appointment for you in your asylum procedure. How long this takes depends on many factors.
In the personal hearing, you will be requested to provide information about your persecution, a curriculum vitae, your identity, your personal circumstances and the route you took to arrive in Germany. You will have ample time to explain all your reasons for leaving your home country – namely why you fled and what you fear could be your fate if you returned.
There is no need whatsoever to fear the hearing. Please report everything you experienced as it happened! Do not follow the advice of friends and people you know who suggest that you report on things that didn’t actually happen to you. False information can result in the rejection of your application. Always answer all questions truthfully.
An interpreter, who is sworn to secrecy, will be there to help you through the hearing.
What happens during the assessment of the application for asylum?
When the hearing is over, your application for asylum will be assessed while taking into account an overall view of all relevant factors. The personal interview is particularly important. Sometimes, further investigations may become necessary to clarify the facts of your case before a final decision can be made. This could involve requests to the Federal Foreign Office ("Auswärtiges Amt") and the gathering of information from linguistic and text analyses, physical-technical validation of documents or requests for medical reports. The other evidence you have submitted, such as your passport or your birth certificate, will also be tested for authenticity
You will receive written notification of the decision with all relevant grounds, information on your right of appeal and a translation into your own language.
