1615482 (Refugee)

This matter concerned an application for review of a delegate's decision to refuse the applicant, an Ethiopian citizen, a protection visa. The applicant claimed he could not return to Ethiopia due to his political opinion as a supporter of the opposition ARENA Tigray for Democracy and Sovereignty (ARENA) and his Agame Tigrayan ethnicity, alleging discrimination and persecution.

The court was required to determine whether the applicant had a well-founded fear of persecution in Ethiopia based on his political opinion, ethnicity, or other grounds, or whether complementary protection provisions applied. This involved assessing the credibility of his claims regarding his involvement in political activities, including a 2005 student protest, his alleged membership in ARENA, and subsequent persecution by authorities.

The Tribunal found that while it was plausible the applicant participated in a 2005 student protest and was suspended from university for a month, it did not accept that he was placed on a government blacklist. This conclusion was based on a lack of evidence suggesting he was a high-profile organiser or otherwise drew the attention of authorities in a manner that would lead to such blacklisting, particularly given his subsequent ability to complete his university degree without further disruption. Consequently, the Tribunal concluded that the decision under review should be remitted for reconsideration.