3.2. Personal interview Indicators: Admissibility Procedure: Personal Interview Same as regular procedure 1. Is a personal interview of the asylum applicant in most cases conducted in practice in the admissibility procedure? Yes No ❖ If so, are questions limited to nationality, identity, travel route? Depends on grounds ❖ If so, are interpreters available in practice, for interviews? Yes No 2. Are interviews conducted through video conferencing? Frequently Rarely Never The conduct of an interview on the admissibility procedure varies depending on the admissibility ground examined. According to Article 94(2) Asylum Code, as a rule, no interview should be held during the preliminary examination of a subsequent application. The examination of a subsequent application takes place only through written submissions and submitted documents together with the elements of the first asylum application. The interview is conducted only if the subsequent application for asylum is deemed admissible (see section on Subsequent Applications). As regards the process for Dublin cases, see section on Dublin. Personal interviews in cases examined under the “safe third country” concept focus on the circumstances that the applicants face in Türkiye and specifically on: ❖ whether they have applied for international protection in Türkiye and; ❖ if not, which reasons prevented them from doing so; ❖ whether they have family and friends in Türkiye; ❖ how long they remained in Türkiye; ❖ if they had access to work, housing, education and health care; ❖ and in general, if Türkiye is a safe country for them. Significant emphasis has been placed on evaluating the applicant's connection to Türkiye. This assessment considers factors such as the duration of their residence in Türkiye and the presence of family members within the country. In many instances, the presence of a link serves as the sole and determining factor in deciding admissibility or inadmissibility. For example, RAO Thessaloniki issued an admissibility decision for an Afghan national considering that: Since the applicant's internal credibility is established, and his claims about the unstable situation in Türkiye for asylum seekers are supported by international sources, his claim is accepted as credible. Additionally, in this case, the applicant's connection to the third country, according to paragraph 1, point (f) of Article 91 of Law 4939/2022, cannot be considered sufficient. This is because the applicant's transit through Türkiye, in combination with other circumstances relevant to the applicant (such as, among other factors, the duration of his stay in Turkey and the incidents that occurred during his entry into the country), constitutes evidence that does not make it reasonable for the applicant to be expected to return there”.546 Additionally, on December 2024, RAO Kos issued two identical admissibility decisions, 547 concerning Syrian nationals, holding that “taking into account the personal profile of the applicant (a male of Syrian nationality and Arab ethnic origin), the fact that he does not speak Turkish, and that he has not established social, professional, or cultural ties with Türkiye, as he has been residing in Greece since 11/10/2024, the Service concludes that his connection to Türkiye cannot be considered sufficient”. Since 1 January 2020, it is possible for the admissibility interview to be carried out by personnel of the European Union Agency for Asylum (EUAA) or, in particularly urgent circumstances, trained personnel of the Hellenic Police or the Armed Forces. The training needs to be in international human rights law, EU Law on Asylum and the procedures for conducting interviews.548 Such personnel are not allowed to wear military or law enforcement uniforms during interviews.549 However, EUAA caseworkers do not draft 546 547 548 549 RAO Thessaloniki Decision ΙΡ/629417/2024, summary [in Greek] in GCR et al, Greek Asylum Case Law Report Issue 2/2024, page 7, available here. Cases legally represented by the Greek Council for Refugees. Article 82(1) Asylum Code. Article 82(12) (c) Asylum Code. 106