What are some tips for interviewing immigrants?

It’s important to understand an Immigrant’s journey from their ordeal rather than judging them based on the media narrative.

While it is important to do your research into the individual’s country of origin and circumstances, it is also critical to practice humility and empathy. Show that you have some knowledge, but give the individual space to tell their story, as they see it. It’s possible that this may be different from your expectations or assumptions, so be open to that.

Introduce yourself. Purpose & Structure of the Interview. Honesty (oath) and Confidentiality. Rule out any medical or memory issues. Start with the Questions. Be aware in case the situation of the immigrant changed (fell ill, tired). Abide by the lunch break. Allow them to inform you if they need a break. At the end, ask them if they understood all the questions and if they have anything to add or questions to ask. End the interview by informing them what happens next and give them instructions (e.g. whom to report to in case of any changes, and things to report back on).

Remember that Jesus was one of them (immigrants). Matthew 2. If the immigration agent has never had a passport or never left the US, it is quite hard to walk in their shoes. Sometimes, it is the opposite effect: Thos that made it on the other side of the fence (wall) want to keep their "privilege" of the standing out migrant!

In my experience, try first to let the migrant speaks about his concerns, obstacles that he/she facing. Try in your answer to be simple in explanation for your idea, try to give solutions rather than to get from the migrant information, you can do both but try in the same time to be more helpful because the migrant would need your assistant.

One time at work, I interviewed a Syrian family who had just moved to the UK as refugees. When I walked into their home, I immediately saw that the children were frightened of having a stranger in their 'safe space'. So before launching into business, I spent the first 30 minutes playing with the children. We couldn't speak each other's language, but we could smile and interact with our hands. Once the rapport and trust had been established, their parents were able to open up more easily and do the interview with me. Creating comfort goes a long way in building the right connection for a successful interview.

I am an immigrant myself. What documents should I provide to you that makes my story credible? Are you saying that one persons word isn’t enough? I do agree to attempt to find balance in their story. However, a lot of it remains personal and very subjective. In my own experience patience, empathy and compassion are important. It allows us to make a connection, and this helps to create a meaningful conversation/ dialogue.

One of the basic information to collect is the reason of movement. This information will help in finding out which category the migrant falls under, thus, defining better their needs and opportunities. It goes without saying that if the reason of movement is fear of persecution or generalized violence, then we are dealing with a refugee and not a migrant.

Make it about the people and not the story. Even though it seems that journeys to safe destinations are similar, their experiences vary quite a lot. Invest your time in treating the person as the human beings they are; do not go into the conversation with the western mentality of who is better than the other. Lead with humbleness and humanity and you will achieve your goal. Most important, have a conversation, not a Q&A session.