Ajang and Minister for Immigration, Citizenship and Multicultural Affairs (Citizenship)

This matter concerned an application for Australian citizenship by conferral made by Mrs Ajang, who sought to challenge the delegate's decision to refuse her application. The delegate had not been satisfied of Mrs Ajang's identity, a requirement under section 24(3) of the *Australian Citizenship Act 2007* (Cth). The Administrative Appeals Tribunal was therefore required to determine whether it was satisfied as to Mrs Ajang's identity.

The Tribunal was tasked with assessing whether the evidence presented sufficiently established Mrs Ajang's identity, particularly concerning her life prior to arriving in Australia. This involved considering the weight to be given to various documents, including her "Document for travel to Australia," Western Australia Driver's Licence, and letters from community associations. Crucially, the Tribunal also had to consider whether Mrs Ajang had made reasonable attempts to obtain further identity documents from relevant authorities, such as the UNHCR or Kenyan authorities, as expected in such circumstances.

The Tribunal found that there was minimal information to establish Mrs Ajang's identity, particularly from before her arrival in Australia. While some Australian identity documents and anecdotal evidence of her life story were provided, these were considered insufficient on their own. The Tribunal noted that Mrs Ajang had not attempted to contact Kenyan authorities, the Kakuma Refugee Camp, or the UNHCR to obtain further documentation, despite information suggesting such documents might be available. Applying the principle that applicants are expected to make reasonable enquiries to obtain existing documents, the Tribunal concluded it was not satisfied of Mrs Ajang's identity.

Consequently, the Tribunal affirmed the delegate's decision to refuse Mrs Ajang's application for Australian citizenship. The Tribunal indicated that Mrs Ajang could make a further application after undertaking more substantial efforts to obtain identity documents.