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<p>All asylum and human rights claims, including those based on religion or belief,
are carefully considered on their individual merits in accordance with our international
obligations, so that we do not remove anyone who faces persecution or serious harm
on return to their country of origin.</p><p> </p><p>Detailed Home Office policy guidance
provides a framework for considering asylum claims, including those based on religious
conversion, and all caseworkers receive extensive training and mentoring support before
making such decisions.</p><p>Each individual assessment is made against the background
of relevant case law and the latest available country of origin information. This
is based on evidence taken from a wide range of reliable sources, including reputable
media outlets; local, national, and international organisations, including human rights
organisations; and information from the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office.</p><p>
</p><p>The degree of weight to be given to evidence from church witnesses will depend
on how much knowledge and experience a church witness has, and the individuals concerned,
and the way in which the claimant may have engaged in church activities. Evidence
from a senior church member is not considered to be determinative.</p><p>In such cases,
decision-makers must decide whether a conversion is genuine on the balance of probabilities.
Decision-makers must consider all evidence in the round, including, where relevant,
such factors as the claimant’s participation in church activities, the timing of their
conversion, their knowledge of the faith, and the opinions of other members of the
congregation as to the genuineness of the conversion.</p><p>Protection is normally
granted where a claimant has a well-founded fear of persecution under the Refugee
Convention or a claimant faces a real risk of serious harm. Those found not to need
protection are refused, and the decision can be subject to legal challenge where appropriate,
either via appeal to the independent courts or through a judicial review, depending
on the decision in question. Once appeal rights are exhausted, they are liable for
removal and enforcement action pursued where necessary.</p>
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