BAMF publishes evaluation report on counselling in the asylum procedure

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The Research Centre of the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (BAMF) carried out an evaluation of independent counselling in the asylum procedure. The report examines the implementation of the counselling programme which has been in place since 2023 and which, following the amendment of Section 12a of the Asylum Act, replaced the former state-run asylum procedure counselling service.

Since then, independent organisations, primarily charitable organisations, have been commissioned to provide counselling independent of the authorities, which is funded by federal funds by BAMF.

The evaluation comprises three parts:

  • An estimation of the actual counselling needs of asylum seekers was carried out using various data sources;
  • Key steps and interfaces were examined to identify areas for improvement;
  • Potential areas of impact of the counselling programme were identified. 

The report observes that the counselling programme is generally viewed positively by the respondents, including advisors, implementing bodies, central offices and the approving authority. In particular, individual case support is highlighted as a key added value of the programme. The extent to which these observations are also shared by the applicants cannot be determined within the scope of this evaluation representing a limitation of the study. 

Overall, it can be concluded that the programme essentially operates in line with the guidelines and that a nationwide service has been established reaching a significant number of people seeking protection. At the same time, there is a need for improvement in the areas of communication, process coordination and quality control, as well as in ensuring that people seeking protection can be reached at an early stage.

Based on the results of the evaluation, some recommendations are to take into account the difference between demand and use, to look into various counselling formats and to ensure early access to those seeking advice.

The full report is available in German on the BAMF website.

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