1819140 (Refugee)

The applicant sought a protection visa, claiming a fear of persecution upon return to Sierra Leone due to her alleged support for the All Peoples Congress (APC) party and her Temne ethnicity. She asserted that the victorious Sierra Leone Peoples Party (SLPP) was targeting APC campaigners, and that she, as a known [occupation] and Temne, had been specifically targeted, with her fiancé being attacked and her son threatened. The Administrative Appeals Tribunal was required to determine whether the applicant's claims of political affiliation and the resulting fear of persecution were credible.

The Tribunal considered the applicant's knowledge of the APC and her alleged involvement in campaigning. It noted inconsistencies between her claims of active campaigning and her limited understanding of the party's policies, leadership, and electoral history, as demonstrated in both departmental interviews and at the hearing. The Tribunal found her explanations regarding the timing and extent of her alleged campaigning, particularly in conjunction with her preparation for an [event], to be unconvincing.

Based on these findings, the Tribunal concluded that the applicant's stated knowledge of the APC was too superficial to support her assertion of being a prominent campaigner. Her lack of detailed political awareness, including uncertainty about election dates, further undermined her credibility. Consequently, the Tribunal affirmed the decision under review.