2107324 (Refugee)

The applicant, a citizen of Zimbabwe, sought review of the decision to refuse his protection visa application. The applicant claimed he feared harm upon return to Zimbabwe due to concerns about contracting COVID-19, an inability to access healthcare, and high unemployment, which he believed would lead to harm. The Tribunal considered these claims in light of the relevant provisions of the *Migration Act 1958* (Cth) and associated guidelines.

The legal issues before the Tribunal were whether the applicant had a well-founded fear of persecution for reasons of race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group, or political opinion, or alternatively, whether there were substantial grounds for believing that as a necessary and foreseeable consequence of his removal to Zimbabwe, he faced a real risk of suffering significant harm. The Tribunal was required to assess whether the applicant met the criteria for a protection visa under section 36(2)(a) or 36(2)(aa) of the Act.

The Tribunal reasoned that the applicant's claims regarding COVID-19, healthcare access, and unemployment did not establish a real chance of suffering serious harm or significant harm as defined by the Act. The Tribunal noted the applicant's appearance as healthy and affluent, and that his claims of harm were not substantiated with sufficient detail. Furthermore, the Tribunal considered that the applicant had not demonstrated that he could not relocate within Zimbabwe to avoid any general risks faced by the population, nor that he could not obtain protection from Zimbabwean authorities. The Tribunal concluded that the applicant did not satisfy the criteria for a protection visa.

The Tribunal affirmed the decision not to grant the applicant a protection visa.