To state authorities: • Introduce national legislation that makes reference to the early identification of victims of torture and the use of MLRs as an evidential tool in asylum proceedings. • Introduce mechanisms for the early identification of victims of torture, for example, through medical and psychological screening at the national or regional level. The planned inclusion of the PROTECT tool in the European Asylum Curriculum (the training component) of the European Asylum Support Office (EASO) is an example of a regional initiative to improve mechanisms. • Introduce training programmes for: • State officials who interview asylum applicants. Training is essential to recognise signs and symptoms of torture or trauma. • State officials who issue the initial asylum decision. Training is essential on how to consider medical evidence alongside all other evidence in an asylum application. In addition, awareness must be raised of the guidelines set out in the Istanbul Protocol, as well as of intercultural communication and communication with the support of interpreters.150 • Improve collaboration with: • Health professionals who examine and treat VoTs. Health professionals who treat VoTs should be consulted to ensure that the standard of training meets the accepted guidelines, including the Istanbul Protocol. • Rehabilitation centres that treat VoTs. Input from rehabilitation centres will lead to a better understanding and acceptance of the medical issues that concern victims of torture and which impact on an asylum-seeker’s ability to communicate with state authorities and present their case coherently and effectively. • Increase the capacity and financing for medical and psychosocial treatment in all asylumreceiving countries in recognition of states’ obligations under Article 14 UNCAT. • Abolish the detention of all asylum-seekers and victims of torture under all circumstances. Policies to identify VoTs within detention centres are not sufficient protection as they are often poorly implemented due to a lack of resources and poor training of staff. Therefore, the complete abolition of detention of vulnerable asylum-seekers will be the only satisfactory conclusion. To civil society: • Develop tools to advocate for changes to national asylum policy. NGOs and rehabilitation centres must play an active role by advocating that states implement tools and mechanisms to ensure that state officials involved in asylum proceedings are able to recognise signs and symptoms of torture or trauma. The PROTECT tool, discussed in Part 3, provides an example of this type of initiative. • Improve data collection, for example, on the numbers of asylum-seekers who are VoTs and the cost/benefits of early access to healthcare. Data is essential to support the sector’s understanding of the issues and to support advocacy. For example, data on the cost/benefits of early treatment can be used to advocate the benefits that states would experience by increasing the funding provided to support vulnerable asylum-seekers, including victims of torture. Recognising victims of torture in national asylum procedures / 73