BG:

Good morning, Ma’am. Tell me your flight number, please.

Traveller:

8425

BG:

Are you travelling from Istanbul?

Traveller:

No, Turkey was just a transit country.

BG:

Where are you coming from?

Traveller:

I took a flight from Brazzaville, Congo.

BG:

What is your final destination?

Traveller:

Kiev is my final destination.

BG:

Are you travelling alone?

Traveller:

Yes, Ma’am. I am travelling alone.

BG:

I see, may I see your passport, please?

Traveller:

Sorry, Ma’am. I don’t have any.

BG:

Have you lost your documents?

Traveller:

No, I don’t have any at all.

BG:

That’s bad; you need a travel document to cross the border.

Traveller:

I cannot come back to my country. They will kill me.

BG:

I don’t understand what you are talking about.

Traveller:

You have to protect me from my government.

BG:

Are you looking for asylum?

Traveller:

Oh yes. I want to apply for asylum.

BG:

Oh, I see now. You need to fill in some forms. Do you want me to help you?

Traveller:

That would be great, I can’t write in English well.

A border guard fills out an asylum form

BG:

First tell me your name, surname and date of birth.

Traveller:

I’m Bompaka Banza, born February 12, 1985.

BG:

Where are you from?

Traveller:

I’m from Bandundu, Congo.

BG:

Why did you decide to flee your country?

Traveller:

I was a public person in my country; they tried to arrest me for what I was saying to people.

BG:

Have you applied to the police?

Traveller:

The police will not help. They violate our rights, our freedoms in Congo.

BG:

Which rights are you talking about?

Traveller:

They pursue us for our political, social and other opinions. There are no constitutional remedies at all.

BG:

Ok, Ma’am do you know the procedure of receiving refugee status?

Traveller:

Not really.

BG:

First you need to fill out an asylum form.

Traveller:

This is what we are doing right now.

BG:

Yes, we will hand over this form to the State Migration Service where you will be given some temporary documents.

Traveller:

Thank you so much. Is there anything else you need to know?

BG:

No, that will be enough. Please stay here until a migration officer comes to take you.

Traveller:

Ok.