Why are asylum seekers disbelieved?

4 July 2013

Why are asylum seekers so often disbelieved? How is it that clinical evidence of torture is oftentimes rejected on the grounds of ‘credibility’? Why has the UK judged so many Tamil asylum seekers not to be at risk, forcibly returning them to Sri Lanka where they have gone on to be tortured?

Prof Good

All who are involved in asylum work wrestle with some or all of these questions.Professor Anthony Good, Professor Emeritus in Social Anthropology at the University of Edinburgh, has sought to provide answers through conducting analysis of Home Office policy documents and guidance for asylum caseworkers. Professor Good presented his findings at a MEDACT conference last month. Drawing heavily upon his excellent analysis, we follow suit in examining the Home Office guidance and policy materials. Analysis of these documents goes far to explaining why the Home Office has rejected asylum claims from Sri Lanka despite the applicants demonstrably being at risk.

Tamils Against Genocide, made a submission to the UN Committee Against Torture for its 5th periodic review of the UK. In that submission we expressed concern regarding the UKBA’s record to date and its methodology. We noted:

Why Are Asylum Seekers Disbelieved by nelvely