Asylum investigation
The asylum investigation is a conversation where you are asked to tell us more about why you want asylum in Sweden. The Swedish Migration Agency wants to hear your own story about what you have experienced and what you think will happen to you if you have to return.
Your public counsel must accompany you to the asylum investigation. Your guardian may also accompany you if you wish. A person from the Swedish Migration Agency is in charge of the investigation and writes down what you are talking about in a report. Sometimes there may be two people from the Swedish Migration Agency involved in an investigation, in that case one person will ask the questions and the other person writes. An interpreter translates what you say so that you can understand each other. The interpreter can sit in the room or be on video or phone.
Things that are hard to talk about
An asylum investigation takes between two and three hours and you will be asked questions about things that may be difficult or embarrassing to talk about. It is important that you tell the Swedish Migration Agency the truth, even if it is difficult. If you need to take a break, you can ask for it.
When the Swedish Migration Agency investigates your reasons for asylum, the case officer must try to adapt the investigation to your age, maturity and health. If you cannot understand a question you must let us know. It is also important that you speak up if you do not understand the interpreter.
At the asylum investigation, you will be asked questions about your identity, your family, what you have been through in your home country, how you got to Sweden and what you think will happen if you have to return. You have probably heard these questions before, but now you have the opportunity to tell us much more than you have done in previous conversations at the Swedish Migration Agency. The case officer will ask follow-up questions and ask you to tell them more details to really understand your story. Try to answer all questions as carefully as you can. If you are asked the same question several times, it does not mean that you have answered incorrectly, only that the case officer needs more information.
If you have any evidence, you should bring it to the investigation. This evidence may be identity documents or other things that show that what you tell us is true.
After the investigation
After the investigation, the case officer sends the report to your public counsel, who will review it together with you and your guardian. If there are any errors, or if you think that the case officer or interpreter has misunderstood you, it is important that your counsel notifies the Swedish Migration Agency quickly so that it is correct – otherwise it may be difficult for you to explain what is correct at a later date. Also tell your counsel if you think of with something important that you forgot to say at the investigation.
