1701702 (Refugee)

The applicant, a citizen of Vietnam, sought review of a decision by the Minister for Immigration, Citizenship, Migrant Services and Multicultural Affairs to refuse to grant a protection visa. The applicant claimed to fear harm from gangs in Vietnam due to economic disadvantage and sought protection on that basis.

The Administrative Appeals Tribunal was required to determine whether the applicant had a well-founded fear of persecution for a reason specified in section 5 of the *Migration Act 1958* (Cth), specifically whether they would be persecuted if returned to Vietnam. This involved assessing the applicant's credibility and the objective reasonableness of their claimed fears.

The Tribunal found that the applicant's claims of economic disadvantage and fear of gangs lacked credibility. The Tribunal noted the significant delay in the applicant's application for a protection visa and their stated intention to work in Australia, which suggested a lack of genuine fear of persecution. The Tribunal concluded that the applicant had not established a well-founded fear of persecution and therefore affirmed the Minister's decision.