1815262 (Refugee)

The applicant, a citizen of Sierra Leone, sought review of a decision by the Minister to refuse to grant a protection visa. The applicant claimed to fear persecution based on an imputed political opinion, specifically due to their membership in Eagles Against Females Genital Mutilation (EAFGM) and their opposition to Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) practices, particularly those associated with the Bondo Sowei society. The Administrative Appeals Tribunal (AAT) affirmed the Minister's decision.

The primary legal issue before the Tribunal was whether the applicant had established a well-founded fear of persecution for a Convention reason, namely imputed political opinion, should they be returned to Sierra Leone. This required the Tribunal to assess the applicant's credibility, the consistency of their evidence, and their knowledge of FGM practices and the Bondo Sowei society.

The Tribunal found significant credibility concerns with the applicant's evidence. It noted inconsistencies in the applicant's account regarding their level of involvement with EAFGM and their understanding of FGM. The Tribunal concluded that the applicant had not provided sufficiently credible or consistent evidence to establish that they held a genuine fear of persecution based on an imputed political opinion. Consequently, the Tribunal affirmed the decision under review.