2314223 (Refugee)

[2023] AATA 4807

2314223 (Refugee) [2023] AATA 4807 (14 December 2023)

DECISION RECORD

DIVISION:Migration & Refugee Division

CASE NUMBER:  2314223

COUNTRY OF REFERENCE:                   Solomon Islands

MEMBER:Lilly Mojsin

DATE:14 December 2023

PLACE OF DECISION:  Sydney

DECISION:The Tribunal affirms the decision not to grant the applicant a protection visa.

Statement made on 14 December 2023 at   8.55am

CATCHWORDS
REFUGEE – protection visa – Solomon Islands – economic hardship – low-paid work – work visa and contract expiring soon – application made to extend stay – decision under review affirmed

LEGISLATION
Migration Act 1958 (Cth), ss 5H(1)(a), 5J(1), 36(2)(a), (aa), (2A), 65
Migration Regulations 1994 (Cth), Schedule 2

Any references appearing in square brackets indicate that information has been omitted from this decision pursuant to section 431 of the Migration Act 1958 and replaced with generic information which does not allow the identification of an applicant, or their relative or other dependants.

STATEMENT OF DECISION AND REASONS

APPLICATION FOR REVIEW

1. This is an application for review of a decision made by a delegate of the Minister for Home Affairs on 8 September 2023 to refuse to grant the applicant a protection visa [PV] under s 65 of the Migration Act 1958 (Cth) (the Act).

2. The applicant who claims to be a citizen of Solomon Islands, applied for the visa on 21 March 2023. The delegate refused to grant the visa on the basis that the delegate was not satisfied the applicant would suffer serious or significant harm, within a reasonably foreseeable future on his return to the Solomon Islands.

3. The applicant appealed that decision to this Tribunal, attaching a copy of the Department decision to the review application.

4. The applicant appeared before the Tribunal on 13 November 2023 to give evidence and present arguments.

5. The Tribunal hearing was conducted with the assistance of an interpreter in the Pidgin and English languages.

   CRITERIA FOR A PROTECTION VISA

6. See Annexure A

   CONSIDERATION OF CLAIMS AND EVIDENCE

7. The applicant in his PV application stated that he arrived in Australia through the Pacific Labour Scheme and his work contract is expiring soon. He does not want to return to Solomon Islands because he will not find a job to support his family, whereas in Australia, the applicant will be able to find a job to support himself and his family. Australia offers a far greater opportunity to the applicant.

8. The applicant also stated that life in Solomon Islands is difficult. Even the government is trying to sell their nation to China so to be under their leadership, and the rich there are getting richer, and poor are getting poorer.  Moving around Solomon Islands is not an option, as people know each other. If the applicant returned to Solomon Islands, he would feel more stressed as he would need to start from scratch again.

9. The applicant did not provide any submissions to the Tribunal.

10. At the Tribunal hearing the applicant said that he is [Age], he finished form 6 or year 12 and he did voluntary work for [Organisations] and then he returned to vocational school in [Subject] and he worked very hard and the pay was very low.  He worked for [a] company owned by a foreigner and had a contract to do [Job task 1] for [Products]. The whole time he worked at [Workplace 1] [doing related Job tasks]. He applied for seasonal work in Australia.  He left his job as the wages were too low.

11. In Australia, the applicant worked for [Company], [doing Job task 2] in [City]. He now works in a [Workplace 2]. There is only 3 months left before he returns to Solomons. By the time he leaves he will only have saved $2-3000. So he has run away from the company and applied for a bridging visa.

12. When asked why he left the Solomon Islands he said he did not leave because he suffered persecution. He came as a season worker. 

13. I asked what he fears about returning to the Solomon Islands and he said there is no fear. He just got fear of not finishing his house that he is building. It is in the province of Malaita so he applied for this visa to stay longer.

14. I put to him that he has skills to obtain work on his return and he agreed.

    INDEPENDENT EVIDENCE

15. Solomon Islands is an archipelagic state situated in the south-west Pacific Ocean, approximately 2,000 kms to the northeast of Australia. Its land mass of 28,400 km extends over nearly 1000 islands comprising nine main island groups. The capital, Honiara, is located on Guadalcanal, the largest island.

16. The population of Solomon Islands, estimated to be about 724,462, is predominantly Melanesian (about 95 per cent) although there are also small Polynesian, Micronesian, Chinese and European communities. There are 63 distinct languages in the country, with numerous local dialects. English is the official language but Solomons’ Pijin is the lingua franca for the majority of people.

17. The Pacific Australia Labour Mobility (PALM) scheme commenced in 2021. Under the Programme, seasonal horticultural workers from Pacific countries are recruited by horticultural enterprises in Australia to meet their seasonal harvest needs. This enables citizens of select Pacific island countries including Solomon Islands to take up low and semi-skilled work in rural and regional Australia for up to three years.

    REASONS AND FINDINGS

18. On the basis of his Solomon Islands passport, I accept that the applicant is a national of the Solomon Islands and a not national or citizen of any other country or has a right to enter and reside in any country other than the Solomon Islands. Therefore, I find that the applicant is not excluded from Australia's protection by subsection 36(3) of the Act. I also find that the Solomon Islands is the applicant’s “receiving country” for the purposes of s.36(2) (aa).

19. The mere fact that a person claims fear of persecution for a particular reason does not establish either the genuineness of the asserted fear or that it is “well-founded” or that it is for the reason claimed. Similarly, that the applicant claims to face a real risk of significant harm does not establish that such a risk exists, or that the harm feared amounts to “significant harm”. It remains for the applicant to satisfy the Tribunal that all of the statutory elements are made out.

20. The applicant does not claim to have suffered any harm for reasons his race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group or political opinion when he lived in the Solomon Islands. I accept he arrived in Australia under the PALM scheme to work.  I accept that he only applied for a PV in order to extend his stay in Australia, in order to continue working.  

21. I have considered the applicant’s evidence singularly and cumulatively. I am satisfied the applicant did not suffer serious harm, in the Solomon Islands, for a refugee reason ie. for reasons of his race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group or political opinion.

22. I am required to consider if the applicant will suffer serious harm, for reasons of his race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group or political opinion, on his return to the Solomon Islands, within a reasonably foreseeable future.

23. I accept that the applicant believes that the government is trying to sell their nation to China and does not wish to be under their leadership. The applicant does not claim that he would express his political opinion on his return. I find there is not a real chance the applicant will suffer serious harm for expressing an adverse political opinion about the Solomon Islands government actions regarding China, within a reasonably foreseeable future on his return to China.  

24. The applicant does not claim to fear serious harm for a refugee reason on his return to the Solomon Islands.

25. Therefore I find there is not a real chance the applicant will suffer serious harm  for reasons of his race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group or political opinion, on his return to the Solomon Islands, within a reasonably foreseeable future.

26. Therefore, the applicant does not satisfy the criterion set out in s.36(2)(a).

27. I am required to assess if the applicant will suffer significant harm on his return to the Solomon Islands within a reasonably foreseeable future.

28. The applicant has not made specific claims for complementary protection separate from those put forward in relation to refugee criteria.

29. As stated above, I am satisfied that the applicant did not suffer serious harm in the Solomon Islands and came to Australia in order to earn an income.

30. I accept that life in Solomon Islands is difficult, the rich there are getting richer, and poor are getting poorer. Whilst I accept the applicant holds these beliefs, I note that the economic climate affects all residents of the Solomon Islands.  

31. I accept the applicant does not want to return to Solomon Islands because he wants to earn sufficient money to finish his house, and he would feel more stressed returning as he would need to start from scratch again. I am not satisfied that feeling stressed amounts to harm. Whilst he stated in his PV application that he will not find a job to support his family, when put to the applicant that he was acquired skills in Australia and is able to find work in the Solomon Islands, he agreed.

32. Therefore, having considered the applicants' circumstances singularly and cumulatively, I do not accept on the evidence before me, that there are substantial grounds for believing that, as a necessary and foreseeable consequence of the applicant being removed from Australia to Solomon Islands, there is a real risk that he will be arbitrarily deprived of life, that the death penalty will be carried out on him, that he will be subjected to torture, that he will be subjected to cruel or inhuman treatment or punishment or that he will be subjected to degrading treatment or punishment.

33. Accordingly, I find that the applicant does not satisfy the requirements of s.36(2)(aa) of the Act.

    Conclusions

34. For the reasons given above, the Tribunal is not satisfied that the applicant is a person in respect of whom Australia has protection obligations under s.36(2)(a).

35. Having concluded that the applicant does not meet the refugee criterion in s.36(2)(a), the Tribunal has considered the alternative criterion in s.36(2)(aa). The Tribunal is not satisfied that the applicant is a person in respect of whom Australia has protection obligations under s.36(2)(aa).

36. There is no suggestion that the applicant satisfies s.36(2) on the basis of being a member of the same family unit as a person who satisfies s.36(2)(a) or (aa) and who holds a protection visa. Accordingly, the applicant does not satisfy the criterion in s.36(2).

    DECISION

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

    Lilly Mojsin
    Member

    
    
    

    ANNEXURE A

38. The criteria for a protection visa are set out in s 36 of the Act and Schedule 2 to the Migration Regulations 1994 (Cth) (the Regulations). An applicant for the visa must meet one of the alternative criteria in s 36(2)(a), (aa), (b), or (c). That is, he or she is either a person in respect of whom Australia has protection obligations under the ‘refugee’ criterion, or on other ‘complementary protection’ grounds, or is a member of the same family unit as such a person and that person holds a protection visa of the same class.

39. Section 36(2)(a) provides that a criterion for a protection visa is that the applicant for the visa is a non-citizen in Australia in respect of whom the Minister is satisfied Australia has protection obligations because the person is a refugee.

40. A person is a refugee if, in the case of a person who has a nationality, they are outside the country of their nationality and, owing to a well-founded fear of persecution, are unable or unwilling to avail themselves of the protection of that country: s 5H(1)(a). In the case of a person without a nationality, they are a refugee if they are outside the country of their former habitual residence and, owing to a well-founded fear of persecution, are unable or unwilling to return to that country: s 5H(1)(b).

41. Under s 5J(1), a person has a well-founded fear of persecution if they fear being persecuted for reasons of race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group or political opinion, there is a real chance they would be persecuted for one or more of those reasons, and the real chance of persecution relates to all areas of the relevant country. Additional requirements relating to a ‘well-founded fear of persecution’ and circumstances in which a  person will be taken not to have such a fear are set out in ss 5J(2)-(6) and ss 5K-LA, which are extracted in the attachment to this decision.

42. If a person is found not to meet the refugee criterion in s 36(2)(a), he or she may nevertheless meet the criteria for the grant of the visa if he or she is a non-citizen in Australia in respect of whom the Minister is satisfied Australia has protection obligations because the Minister has substantial grounds for believing that, as a necessary and foreseeable consequence of being removed from Australia to a receiving country, there is a real risk that he or she will suffer significant harm: s 36(2)(aa) (‘the complementary protection criterion’). The meaning of significant harm, and the circumstances in which a person will be taken not to face a real risk of significant harm, are set out in ss 36(2A) and (2B), which are extracted in the attachment to this decision.

    Mandatory considerations

43. In accordance with Ministerial Direction No.84, made under s 499 of the Act, the Tribunal has taken account of the ‘Refugee Law Guidelines’ and ‘Complementary Protection Guidelines’ prepared by the Department of Home Affairs, and country information assessments prepared by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade expressly for protection status determination purposes, to the extent that they are relevant to the decision under consideration.

    ATTACHMENT  -  Extract from Migration Act 1958

    5 (1) Interpretation

    …

    cruel or inhuman treatment or punishment means an act or omission by which:

    (a)     severe pain or suffering, whether physical or mental, is intentionally inflicted on a person; or

    (b)     pain or suffering, whether physical or mental, is intentionally inflicted on a person so long as, in all the circumstances, the act or omission could reasonably be regarded as cruel or inhuman in nature;

    but does not include an act or omission:

    (c)     that is not inconsistent with Article 7 of the Covenant; or

    (d)     arising only from, inherent in or incidental to, lawful sanctions that are not inconsistent with the Articles of the Covenant.

    …

    degrading treatment or punishment means an act or omission that causes, and is intended to cause, extreme humiliation which is unreasonable, but does not include an act or omission:

    (a)     that is not inconsistent with Article 7 of the Covenant; or

    (b)     that causes, and is intended to cause, extreme humiliation arising only from, inherent in or incidental to, lawful sanctions that are not inconsistent with the Articles of the Covenant.

    …

    torture means an act or omission by which severe pain or suffering, whether physical or mental, is intentionally inflicted on a person:

    (a)     for the purpose of obtaining from the person or from a third person information or a confession; or

    (b)     for the purpose of punishing the person for an act which that person or a third person has committed or is suspected of having committed; or

    (c)     for the purpose of intimidating or coercing the person or a third person; or

    (d)     for a purpose related to a purpose mentioned in paragraph (a), (b) or (c); or

    (e)     for any reason based on discrimination that is inconsistent with the Articles of the Covenant;

    but does not include an act or omission arising only from, inherent in or incidental to, lawful sanctions that are not inconsistent with the Articles of the Covenant.

    …

    receiving country,  in relation to a non-citizen, means:

    (a)     a country of which the non-citizen is a national, to be determined solely by reference to the law of the relevant country; or

    (b)     if the non-citizen has no country of nationality—a country of his or her former habitual residence, regardless of whether it would be possible to return the non-citizen to the country.

    …

    5H    Meaning of refugee

    (1)For the purposes of the application of this Act and the regulations to a particular person in Australia, the person is a refugee if the person is:

    (a)     in a case where the person has a nationality – is outside the country of his or her nationality and, owing to a well-founded fear of persecution, is unable or unwilling to avail himself or herself of the protection of that country; or

    (b)     in a case where the person does not have a nationality – is outside the country of his or her former habitual residence and owing to a well-founded fear of persecution, is unable or unwilling to return to it.

    Note:     For the meaning of well-founded fear of persecution, see section 5J.

    …

    5J     Meaning of well-founded fear of persecution

    (1)For the purposes of the application of this Act and the regulations to a particular person, the person has a well-founded fear of persecution if:

    (a)     the person fears being persecuted for reasons of race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group or political opinion; and

    (b)     there is a real chance that, if the person returned to the receiving country, the person would be persecuted for one or more of the reasons mentioned in paragraph (a); and

    (c)     the real chance of persecution relates to all areas of a receiving country.

    Note:     For membership of a particular social group, see sections 5K and 5L.

    (2)A person does not have a well-founded fear of persecution if effective protection measures are available to the person in a receiving country.

    Note:     For effective protection measures, see section 5LA.

    (3)A person does not have a well-founded fear of persecution if the person could take reasonable steps to modify his or her behaviour so as to avoid a real chance of persecution in a receiving country, other than a modification that would:

    (a)     conflict with a characteristic that is fundamental to the person’s identity or conscience; or

    (b)     conceal an innate or immutable characteristic of the person; or

    (c)     without limiting paragraph (a) or (b), require the person to do any of the following:

    (i)alter his or her religious beliefs, including by renouncing a religious conversion, or conceal his or her true religious beliefs, or cease to be involved in the practice of his or her faith;

    (ii)conceal his or her true race, ethnicity, nationality or country of origin;

    (iii)alter his or her political beliefs or conceal his or her true political beliefs;

    (iv)conceal a physical, psychological or intellectual disability;

    (v)enter into or remain in a marriage to which that person is opposed, or accept the forced marriage of a child;

    (vi)alter his or her sexual orientation or gender identity or conceal his or her true sexual orientation, gender identity or intersex status.

    (4)If a person fears persecution for one or more of the reasons mentioned in paragraph (1)(a):

    (a)     that reason must be the essential and significant reason, or those reasons must be the essential and significant reasons, for the persecution; and

    (b)     the persecution must involve serious harm to the person; and

    (c)     the persecution must involve systematic and discriminatory conduct.

    (5)Without limiting what is serious harm for the purposes of paragraph (4)(b), the following are instances of serious harm for the purposes of that paragraph:

    (a)     a threat to the person’s life or liberty;

    (b)     significant physical harassment of the person;

    (c)     significant physical ill‑treatment of the person;

    (d)     significant economic hardship that threatens the person’s capacity to subsist;

    (e)     denial of access to basic services, where the denial threatens the person’s capacity to subsist;

    (f)     denial of capacity to earn a livelihood of any kind, where the denial threatens the person’s capacity to subsist.

    (6)In determining whether the person has a well‑founded fear of persecution for one or more of the reasons mentioned in paragraph (1)(a), any conduct engaged in by the person in Australia is to be disregarded unless the person satisfies the Minister that the person engaged in the conduct otherwise than for the purpose of strengthening the person’s claim to be a refugee.

    5K    Membership of a particular social group consisting of family

    For the purposes of the application of this Act and the regulations to a particular person (the first person), in determining whether the first person has a well‑founded fear of persecution for the reason of membership of a particular social group that consists of the first person’s family:

    (a)     disregard any fear of persecution, or any persecution, that any other member or former member (whether alive or dead) of the family has ever experienced, where the reason for the fear or persecution is not a reason mentioned in paragraph 5J(1)(a); and

    (b)     disregard any fear of persecution, or any persecution, that:

    (i)the first person has ever experienced; or

    (ii)any other member or former member (whether alive or dead) of the family has ever experienced;

    where it is reasonable to conclude that the fear or persecution would not exist if it were assumed that the fear or persecution mentioned in paragraph (a) had never existed.

    Note:     Section 5G may be relevant for determining family relationships for the purposes of this section.

    5L    Membership of a particular social group other than family

    For the purposes of the application of this Act and the regulations to a particular person, the person is to be treated as a member of a particular social group (other than the person’s family) if:

    (a)     a characteristic is shared by each member of the group; and

    (b)     the person shares, or is perceived as sharing, the characteristic; and

    (c)     any of the following apply:

    (i)the characteristic is an innate or immutable characteristic;

    (ii)the characteristic is so fundamental to a member’s identity or conscience, the member should not be forced to renounce it;

    (iii)the characteristic distinguishes the group from society; and

    (d)     the characteristic is not a fear of persecution.

    5LA Effective protection measures

    (1)For the purposes of the application of this Act and the regulations to a particular person, effective protection measures are available to the person in a receiving country if:

    (a)     protection against persecution could be provided to the person by:

    (i)the relevant State; or

    (ii)a party or organisation, including an international organisation, that controls the relevant State or a substantial part of the territory of the relevant State; and

    (b)     the relevant State, party or organisation mentioned in paragraph (a) is willing and able to offer such protection.

    (2)A relevant State, party or organisation mentioned in paragraph (1)(a) is taken to be able to offer protection against persecution to a person if:

    (a)     the person can access the protection; and

    (b)     the protection is durable; and

    (c)     in the case of protection provided by the relevant State—the protection consists of an appropriate criminal law, a reasonably effective police force and an impartial judicial system.

    …

    36     Protection visas – criteria provided for by this Act

    …

    (2)A criterion for a protection visa is that the applicant for the visa is:

    (a)     a non-citizen in Australia in respect of whom the Minister is satisfied Australia has protection obligations because the person is a refugee; or

    (aa)  a non-citizen in Australia (other than a non-citizen mentioned in paragraph (a)) in respect of whom the Minister is satisfied Australia has protection obligations because the Minister has substantial grounds for believing that, as a necessary and foreseeable consequence of the non-citizen being removed from Australia to a receiving country, there is a real risk that the non-citizen will suffer significant harm; or

    (b)     a non-citizen in Australia who is a member of the same family unit as a non-citizen who:

    (i)is mentioned in paragraph (a); and

    (ii)holds a protection visa of the same class as that applied for by the applicant; or

    (c)     a non-citizen in Australia who is a member of the same family unit as a non-citizen who:

    (i)is mentioned in paragraph (aa); and

    (ii)holds a protection visa of the same class as that applied for by the applicant.

    (2A)A non‑citizen will suffer significant harm if:

    (a)     the non‑citizen will be arbitrarily deprived of his or her life; or

    (b)     the death penalty will be carried out on the non‑citizen; or

    (c)     the non‑citizen will be subjected to torture; or

    (d)     the non‑citizen will be subjected to cruel or inhuman treatment or punishment; or

    (e)     the non‑citizen will be subjected to degrading treatment or punishment.

    (2B)However, there is taken not to be a real risk that a non‑citizen will suffer significant harm in a country if the Minister is satisfied that:

    (a)     it would be reasonable for the non‑citizen to relocate to an area of the country where there would not be a real risk that the non‑citizen will suffer significant harm; or

    (b)     the non‑citizen could obtain, from an authority of the country, protection such that there would not be a real risk that the non‑citizen will suffer significant harm; or

    (c)     the real risk is one faced by the population of the country generally and is not faced by the non‑citizen personally.

    …