A virtual case worker called Eva could interview potential asylum seekers in the future, reports the AD on Tuesday.

The multi-lingual avatar is being developed by a Gelderland-based company called Virtask which – its director told DutchNews.nl – has been talking with the IND immigration service about how it could help speed up processes.

Zutphen municipality, also in Gelderland, is about to begin trials of the program at its asylum seekers’ centre. Further trials will follow in Alkmaar.

The Zutphen council in the east of the Netherlands has already funded fifty ‘sisters’ of Eve, called Anne, to support carers of people with conditions including dementia by performing routine tasks like scheduling appointments or adjusting the temperature.

It would potentially use the new program to question refugees who already have permission to stay in the Netherlands on their education and experience prior to placing them in a home.

Currently, refugees are questioned on arrival by several people in the IND, which generally involves two case workers plus a translator and takes several hours. Virtask’s product could apparently speed up and simplify this process, and also store and process information immediately.

Annemarie Johannes, director of Virtask, believes Eve’s language abilities could be especially useful in interviewing refugees who have just arrived in the Netherlands. She told DutchNews.nl: ‘I’m very happy that we can start with trials. The idea is to see if it can be quicker, save money and staff. Zutphen will use it with people who already have permission to stay to find out what they want to do and can do.

‘We had created Anne for consumers, older people or those with disabilities, and came up with the idea of Eva for refugees. We aren’t screening people: it is a registration, so Eva can’t conclude that someone is lying.’

She added that they chose a blonde, blue-eyed woman to meet expectations of Dutch natives but went for an older, sterner look. ‘Anne is pretty, and people like to look at her but we did a few tests and refugees wanted a sense of peace and a serious, older lady.’

A spokesman for the ministry of social affairs and employment told the AD: ‘In principle, the current manner screening takes place is satisfactory, although labour-intensive. We are following the developments around Eva.’

The Virtask website explains that the 2D assistant Anne has various helpful qualities in stressful situations. ‘Anne never feels uncertain or apprehensive about her job,’ it says.