Case studies from the Refugee Appeals Tribunal
Case 1: Albanian woman
An Albanian woman sought asylum on the basis that she was at risk because of a blood feud, following her husband killing a neighbour. Her son already had refugee status on the basis that his life was at risk. However, the tribunal upheld the decision to refuse her refugee status on the grounds that women were not targeted in Albanian blood feuds and that, if she returned to Albania without her son, she would not be targeted.
Case 2: Nigerian woman
A Nigerian woman who sought asylum on the grounds that her husband's family threatened her with circumcision was refused on the grounds that she had the alternative of seeking protection elsewhere in Nigeria, but she did not do so.
Case 3: Moldovan woman
A Moldovan woman who found financial irregularities in the government office where she worked sought asylum on the basis that she was subsequently threatened and her husband beaten, accused of corruption and threatened. She was asked had she reported all this to the Centre for Combating Economic Crimes and Corruption in Moldova and said she had not, nor to the Ministry of Internal Affairs or to the police. It was found she had not established a failure of state protection, and the decision to refuse her asylum status was upheld.
Case 4: Bangladeshi man
A Bangladeshi Muslim man claimed he had been attacked and threatened following his marriage because he had married a Buddhist, and local Muslim organisations objected to this. He sought asylum on the grounds of religious persecution, and his initial application was refused. The tribunal found that he failed to produce any evidence that would establish his nationality, nor did he provide any reasonable explanation to substantiate his claim that Ireland was the first safe country he arrived in since leaving his country of origin.