1717169 (Refugee)

The applicant, who had previously departed Australia, sought review of a decision to affirm the refusal of a protection visa. The matter came before the Administrative Appeals Tribunal.

The Tribunal was required to determine whether the applicant continued to hold a well-founded fear of persecution for reasons of race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group, or political opinion, should they be returned to Taiwan.

The Tribunal considered the applicant's submissions and the evidence before it, including country information relating to Taiwan. It found that the applicant had not established a well-founded fear of persecution. The Tribunal applied the principles established in *Applicant V134/2002 v Minister for Immigration and Multicultural Affairs* [2003] HCA 32, which require an assessment of the objective circumstances and the subjective fear of the applicant. The Tribunal concluded that the objective circumstances in Taiwan did not support a finding of persecution, and therefore the applicant's subjective fear, even if genuinely held, was not well-founded.

The Tribunal affirmed the decision under review.