Asylum officers
Checking asylum applications is the task of the asylum officers employed by the Federal Office. The asylum officers must fulfil many conditions to undertake this task, which is enshrined in the Basic Law. These include having extensive and up-to-date knowledge about asylum law and the law concerning foreign nationals and about the applicants’ different countries of origin. Staff are also required to have a good deal of practical knowledge, have a command of questioning techniques and a high degree of sensitivity.
High level of professional experience is a prerequisite
In order to carry out this task, the Federal Office only uses staff with the relevant professional experience. These staff may only work as asylum officers in this area if they have proved that they have the required experience. Regular training sessions and information events are held for asylum officers in the Federal Office. This is to ensure that they maintain a high level of knowledge about the subject.
Since 1996, "Sonderbeauftragte" (special officers) have been employed as asylum officers in all branch offices of the Federal Office. They carry out the hearings and make the decisions in gender-specific persecution cases, and cases involving unaccompanied minors, victims of torture and traumatised asylum applicants. This requires a high level of sensitivity and psychological skill and awareness. At the same time, these members of staff also need special support.
"Special officers" for sensitive cases
This is provided by psychological training sessions that are offered on an on-going basis. All events are carried out by internal practitioners and external experts based on case studies, and focus on specific problems encountered in this field of work. The special officers' work also includes being a contact point for colleagues and superiors. They advise these colleagues about difficult cases and pass on relevant information from the training sessions. In addition, the special officers are required to take on particularly sensitive cases themselves.
There is a comprehensive programme available to all asylum officers to help them maintain their standards of performance. In addition there is also the opportunity to further develop professionally and personally in terms of their methodological and social skills and their subject area.
