1806223 (Refugee)

The applicant, a Christian from Indonesia, 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 in Indonesia due to his religion, citing concerns about religious extremists and past accusations of blasphemy, as well as the context of the 1998 anti-Chinese riots.

The Federal Circuit Court was required to determine whether the applicant had established a well-founded fear of persecution for a reason specified in section 5 of the *Migration Act 1958* (Cth), namely his religion. This involved assessing the objective reasonableness of the applicant's subjective fear, considering the current country conditions in Indonesia and the likelihood of him facing harm.

The Court affirmed the delegate's decision, finding that the applicant had not established a well-founded fear of persecution. The Court considered the evidence presented regarding the general situation of Christians in Indonesia and the specific allegations made by the applicant. It concluded that while the applicant held genuine subjective fears, these fears were not objectively reasonable in the circumstances. The Court found that the evidence did not demonstrate a real chance that the applicant would face persecution on account of his religion, nor that he would be unable to obtain protection from the Indonesian authorities.

The application for review was dismissed.