1504978 (Refugee)

This matter concerned an application for review of a delegate of the Minister for Immigration's decision to refuse the applicant a Protection visa under section 65 of the *Migration Act 1958* (Cth). The applicant, a Sunni Muslim citizen of Lebanon, arrived in Australia in December 2011 and had his temporary visa cancelled in May 2014. He subsequently applied for a protection visa, claiming he feared persecution due to his father's prominent political role in their Lebanese town, which had led to threats against him and his family.

The primary legal issue before the court was whether the applicant met the criteria for a Protection visa under section 36 of the Act. Specifically, the court had to determine if the applicant was a person in respect of whom Australia had protection obligations under the *Refugee Convention* (as defined in section 36(2)(a)) or under the complementary protection criterion (section 36(2)(aa)). This involved assessing whether the applicant had a well-founded fear of persecution for reasons of race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group, or political opinion, or whether there was a real risk of significant harm if removed from Australia.

The court considered the applicant's claims regarding threats and violence stemming from his father's support for the March 8 Coalition, which was opposed by the majority in his town. It also examined evidence including a translated news article about a fight in Lebanon. However, the court found that the applicant did not satisfy the criteria for a Protection visa under section 36(2) of the Act, nor was there any suggestion he met the criteria as a family member of a person who did.

Consequently, the Tribunal affirmed the decision not to grant the applicant a Protection visa.