CREDO – Improving Credibility Assessment in EU Asylum Procedures
The overall goal of the CREDO project is to contribute to better structured, objective, high-quality and protection-oriented credibility assessment practices in asylum procedures conducted by EU Member States.
A significant proportion of asylum claims are rejected in the EU on credibility grounds and “credibility assessment” has become an indispensable element of the majority of asylum procedures. Yet, no common concept exists about what “credibility” means in an asylum context and EU law has only set basic principles in this respect. Experience shows that credibility assessment is often conducted in a non-structured manner (often based on “gut feelings”) and persisting erroneous or unscientific concepts distort this process in various ways.
The overall goal of the CREDO project is to contribute to better structured, objective, high-quality and protection-oriented credibility assessment practices in asylum procedures conducted by EU Member States, as well as to promote a harmonized approach, reflecting relevant provisions in EU law and international standards. Based on identified good practices, this goal is to be achieved through several methods:
a) by identifying exemplary practices and shortcomings in the application o fcredibility-related guidance in EU Member States’ asylum practices,
b) by establishing and promoting a firm basis for multidisciplinary training on credibility assessment (including guidance, curriculum and methodology) that is accessible to all relevant target groups, and
c) by raising awareness about the necessity for structured and objective credibility assessment among national decision makers and EU policy-makers.
The project was coordinated by the Hungarian Helsinki Committee and implemented together with its partners – UNHCR Bureau for Europe, the International Association of Refugee Law Judges and Asylum Aid (UK). The project started in September 2011 and will rund for 18 months. It is supported by the European Refugee Fund Community Actions.
In the framework of the project, the following materials were published:
– Multidisciplinary Training Manual on Credibility Assessment in Asylum Procedures;
– Report on EU state practices of credibility assessment in asylum claims;
– Judicial Guidance Paper on credibility assessment in asylum cases;