1831316 (Refugee)

This matter concerned an application for a protection visa by a Sri Lankan national. The applicant claimed to have been affiliated with the government of President Mahinda Rajapaksa and to have received threats and suffered harm due to his political associations. The decision under review was made by the Tribunal, presided over by Katherine Harvey.

The primary legal issue before the Tribunal was whether the applicant had a well-founded fear of persecution for a Convention reason, or if he was otherwise owed complementary protection, or if he was a member of the same family unit as a person who met these criteria. This required the Tribunal to assess the credibility of the applicant's claims and the evidence presented in support of his application.

The Tribunal found that the applicant's claims were not credible. It noted significant inconsistencies between the applicant's oral evidence and his written statements regarding an alleged attack in 2015, including discrepancies in the dates of the incident and the nature of his injuries. The Tribunal also found that supporting documentation, such as hospital invoices, did not align with the applicant's account. Consequently, the Tribunal concluded that the applicant had fabricated his claim and did not have a well-founded fear of persecution. The Tribunal affirmed the decision under review.