1804722 (Refugee)

The applicant, a citizen of Indonesia, sought review of a decision by the Minister to refuse to grant a protection visa. The applicant claimed to fear persecution in Indonesia due to debt problems. The Tribunal Member, Jennifer Ermert, considered the applicant's claims in light of the evidence presented.

The primary legal issue before the Tribunal was whether the applicant had a well-founded fear of persecution for a Convention reason, as defined by the *Migration Act 1958* (Cth). This required the Tribunal to assess the applicant's credibility and the objective reasonableness of their fear, considering the specific circumstances in Indonesia relevant to their claimed grounds for seeking protection.

Member Ermert found that the applicant's claims were not credible and were substantially identical to those made in another unrelated case that had previously been considered. The Tribunal Member identified significant credibility concerns arising from inconsistencies and a lack of corroborating evidence. Consequently, the Tribunal Member concluded that the applicant did not have a well-founded fear of persecution. The decision under review was affirmed.