1720632 (Refugee)

The applicant, a citizen of China, 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 persecution based on their political opinion, alleging they had been targeted due to their involvement in petitions against corruption and land resumption without adequate compensation, and subsequent detention and business debts.

The Administrative Appeals Tribunal was required to determine whether the applicant had established a well-founded fear of persecution for reasons of their political opinion, as defined by the *Migration Act 1958* (Cth) and international refugee law. This involved assessing the applicant's credibility and the objective reasonableness of their fear, considering the evidence presented regarding the alleged persecution and the country conditions in China.

The Tribunal found that the applicant's evidence contained significant inconsistencies and lacked sufficient corroboration to establish a well-founded fear of persecution. While acknowledging the applicant's stated involvement in petitions, the Tribunal concluded that the evidence did not demonstrate that these actions were undertaken with a political motive or that they would likely lead to persecution by the Chinese authorities on account of political opinion. Consequently, the Tribunal affirmed the Minister's decision to refuse the protection visa.