The asylum process

First of all, you have to go to a reception facility (Erstaufnahme-Stelle, EA). Ask an advice office where the nearest EA ist. In the EA, you will make an asylum claim (Asyl-Gesuch). Later, you can make a formal application for asylum (Asyl-Antrag). Sometimes, this happens quickly, in other cases, it takes a long time.
The asylum application has to be made at the Bundesamt für Migration und Flüchtlinge (BAMF). If you are living in a reception facility, you will be given the appointment for your asylum application in a letter, or a list of the appointments will be displayed in the reception facility. Ask the advisers in the reception facility. If you are living in a communal residence (Gemeinschafts-Unterkunft, GU),you will receive a letter telling you when your appointment for your asylum application is.
You have to go to this appointment. If you cannot go to the appointment (for example because you are ill), talk to an advice office.
When you make your asylum application, you have to give your personal data. Personal data means information about yourself. For example, your name, date of birth and nationality. The BAMF also carries out a travel route interview.
When you have made an asylum application, you are given a Aufenthaltsgestattung (preliminary residency permit).

It is likely that you will have to say how you got to Europe and to Germany. This is known as the travel route interview. Sometimes the BAMF will send you a letter for a written travel route interview. You can also say why you do not want to return to the other european country. And you can tell about anything that happened to you there.The asylum process will be done in Germany if the BAMF cannot find any proof that you were in another country. You are not allowed to lie in the travel route interview. If you cannot remember something exactly, then you should say so.
You can find more information about this in the chapter about the Dublin process.

In the hearing, you have to tell the reasons why you fled from your country. Many people call the hearing the interview.

The hearing is very important. Therefore, you should prepare well. There is a brochure on the website asyl.net and a film on the website asylindeutschland.de. Ask an advice office and say that you need help for the hearing.

It may take a short time or a long time before you have your hearing.
After the hearing, the BAMF decides whether or nor you can stay in Germany. The BAMF also decides with which status you are allowed to stay in Germany.
If you are living in a reception facility (EA), you will be given the appointment for the hearing in a letter, or the appointments will be in a list which is displayed in the EA. Sometimes the hearing takes place very soon after you make your asylum application. Ask the advisors in the reception facility. If you are living in a communal residence (Gemeinschafts-Unterkunft, GU), you will be told your appointment for the hearing in a letter. You always have to be at the hearing at 8 o'clock in the morning. However, it is possible that the actual hearing will take place later. You can stay overnight in the reception facility the night before the hearing. Your expenses for travelling to the hearing will be covered. Ask the Sozialamt.
You have to go to this appointment. If you cannot go to the appointment (for example because you are ill), talk to an advice office.

Preparing for the hearing
The hearing is very important. Therefore, you should prepare well. There is a brochure on the website asyl.net and a film on the website asylindeutschland.de. You can find a list of question which are often asked in the interview here. Bear in mind that these are only examples of possible questions. You may be asked other question. Also, it is your resposibility to tell everything relevant in your interview, even if you are not asked directly. Tell what happened to you in your country and why you are in danger if you have to go back. Ask an advice office and say that you need help for the hearing.

Fast-track procedure for „Safe countries of origin“
The german government calls some countries „safe countries of origin“. Albania, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Ghana, Kosovo, North Macedonia, Montenegro, Senegal and Serbia are currenly „safe countries of origin“. You can find more information in the chapter on information for people from „safe countries of origin“.
The BAMF often does a fast-track asylum process for people from so-called „safe countries of origin“. The BAMF wants to reject your claim quickly. Prepare yourself well for the hearing! Go quickly to an advice office!

After the hearing, it can take a short or a long time before you get the decision.
If you get a letter with the decision, contact an advice office.If you are unhappy with the decision, you can appeal to the Verwaltungsgericht (Adminitrative Court). You can find more information in the chapters onAfter the rejection of the asylum application – legal options and further perspectives, Deportation and termination of your stay in Germany and Approval of your asylum application.

When you asylum application is rejected, this does not automatically mean that you are going to be immediately deported.

The rejection notice comes in the post in a yellow envelope. There is a date on the envelope. The envelope is very important. Keep the envelope.
Sometimes you only have one week to lodge an appeal. If you make your appeal to late, you have no chance of getting your appeal heard by the court.

Sometimes it a takes some time before you can make your asylum application. Sometimes it can also take a while before you have a hearing or a decision.
There is not much you can do to make things go faster. However, you can write a letter to the BAMF asking how long it is going to take. If you do not get an answer from the BAMF, you can call them. Go to an advice office. Sometimes it might be to your advantage if the asylum process takes a long time. Maybe you can use this time to create opportunities for yourself beyond the asylum process.

You can find more information on the website of w2eu. This information is in Arabic, English, Farsi and French.