1700725 (Refugee)

This matter concerned an application for a protection visa by an individual from China. The applicant claimed a well-founded fear of persecution in China based on economic hardship, debt to loan sharks, and religious persecution as a convert to Roman Catholicism. The Tribunal was required to determine whether the applicant had a well-founded fear of persecution for one of the five prescribed reasons, or alternatively, whether there were substantial grounds for believing that the applicant would suffer significant harm as a necessary and foreseeable consequence of removal to China.

The Tribunal considered the applicant's claims in light of the evidence presented, including country information regarding China. It accepted the applicant's identity and nationality, and that he did not have a right to reside in a third country. The Tribunal then assessed the applicant's claims of persecution.

The Tribunal concluded that the decision under review should be affirmed. While acknowledging the applicant's conversion to Catholicism and his concerns about religious freedom in China, the Tribunal found that the evidence did not establish a well-founded fear of persecution for a Convention reason. Furthermore, the Tribunal was not satisfied that there were substantial grounds for believing that the applicant would suffer significant harm as a necessary and foreseeable consequence of being removed to China. The Tribunal's decision was made in accordance with Ministerial Direction No. 84 and relevant guidelines.