How to Ace Your South Africa Refugee Program Interview: Expert Tips for Success

As South Africans of Afrikaner ethnicity or other racial minorities prepare for interviews under a new U.S. refugee program, Evan Matthew Gelobter, an esteemed immigration lawyer and professor, shares vital advice to help applicants articulate their persecution experiences effectively.

With interviews being a pivotal step in the application process, Gelobter’s expert tips focus on preparation, clarity, and meeting legal standards to maximize applicants’ chances of success.

In a recent YouTube video, Gelobter provided a concise guide for navigating refugee interviews with confidence:

• Practice Your Narrative: Rehearse your story to clearly and confidently convey past persecution or fear of future harm to refugee officers.
• Connect Persecution to Identity: Explicitly connect your experiences to your Afrikaner or minority status, e.g., “I was attacked because I’m an Afrikaner.”
• Show Government Involvement: Demonstrate that persecution comes from the government or entities it cannot control, such as police inaction after a farm attack.
• Avoid Leading with Economic Issues: Economic hardships, like job discrimination, rarely qualify as persecution unless they entirely prevent survival.
• Prioritize Physical Threats: Highlight physical dangers, such as farm attacks or threats like “kill the Boer,” to strengthen your case.
• Be Honest: Be truthful about all circumstances, including employment, to maintain credibility and safeguard your application.
• Gather Supporting Documents: While not required, evidence like police reports can reinforce your claims of persecution.
• Understand Key Legal Terms: Familiarize yourself with “immutable characteristic” (a trait you can’t or shouldn’t change, like race) and “nexus” (the link between persecution and your Afrikaner identity). Basic refugee law requires persecution to be tied to race, religion, nationality, social group, or political opinion, caused by the government or those it can’t control.
• Prepare Thoroughly: Practice with family or friends to ensure you can recall details smoothly during the interview.
• Keep Your Narrative Concise: Deliver a clear and focused story during the interview, avoiding irrelevant details to ensure the refugee officer understands your case.
• Manage Emotional Delivery: Practice maintaining composure while articulating your story to convey your experiences confidently and effectively.
• Stay Optimistic and Be Ready: Approach the interview with confidence, ensuring your narrative is well-prepared and polished.

Gelobter, leveraging his extensive experience in immigration law, emphasized that preparation is paramount.

“This is about articulating your story clearly and tying it to your Afrikaner identity, not fabricating claims,” he clarified, countering potential misinterpretations of his advice.

He noted that while proof isn’t mandatory, supporting documents can bolster credibility. By focusing on physical threats and government inaction, applicants can align their narratives with established refugee criteria.

As interview dates approach, Gelobter’s expert guidance provides a clear roadmap for applicants to present compelling cases. For more information on the program, visit the U.S. Embassy’s website.