Specific aspects of the national asylum procedure affecting VoTs This final section considers specific aspects of national asylum procedures that are relevant to the treatment of VoTs. Firstly, whether there is a risk that VoTs could be placed in an accelerated procedure, and secondly, whether VoTs are likely to be detained. Key findings on accelerated procedures and detention • Accelerated procedures for some asylum applicants are increasingly common in many asylum-receiving countries, particularly those in Europe (50 percent of respondents’ countries have an accelerated procedure). This is a situation of concern as there is an additional risk that vulnerable applicants placed within an accelerated procedure will be returned to their country of origin without proper consideration of all the evidence in their claim. • Detention of asylum-seekers is becoming increasingly common in all asylumreceiving countries, and it is therefore of particular concern that 65 percent of participants indicated that no measures are taken to avoid the detention of VoTs. QUESTION 15 Is there an accelerated procedure for assessing asylum applications? If there is an accelerated procedure, participants were asked to clarify whether VoTs can be processed within that procedure. General observations Fifty percent of the countries in which centres responded have an accelerated procedure for processing some asylum applications. Of the nine countries that do have an accelerated procedure, only one does not process VoTs within the accelerated procedure. If VoTs are placed in an accelerated procedure, they risk being unable to access the assistance necessary to present their case fully, including access to an MLR, because of the shortened time-frames. As a result, a VoT placed in the accelerated “” bzfo, Germany “An applicant´s asylum claim was rejected after an interview at the airport in Dusseldorf under the accelerated procedure. Afterwards, the applicant became suicidal. A medical / psychological examination was undertaken, and the asylumseeker reported he had been tortured for years in his home country. However, he had not been able to disclose that fact in his asylum interview because he had been too nervous and too afraid. The examination by the doctor showed scars caused by torture as well as evidence of serious posttraumatic stress disorder. After the examination, the applicant was found to be credible and was granted asylum.” Recognising victims of torture in national asylum procedures / 49