A guide for the assessment of credibility in international protection claims

The International Association of Refugee Law Judges (IARLJ) has released a paper which provides guidance for the assessment of credibility in international protection claims under the EU Qualification Directive.

The paper proposes an outline for the credibility assessment stages, according to which decision-makers should first establish whether the factual account to support an asylum claim is credible. To be taken into account in this respect are the relevant details of the claimant’s evidence and responses to questions and cross-examination, and the evidence of other witnesses, expert evidence and country of origin information.

Secondly, the assessment of the risks to the claimant on return should follow. This assessment should be based on the facts accepted in the first step, and on evidence provided by the witnesses, experts, or the relevant country of origin information.

The study also sets out basic criteria and standards for credibility assessment such as internal and external consistency of the claims, the existence of other evidence indicating that the facts as presented by the applicant are impossible, or the level of detail.

The paper is addressed to judges dealing with appeals against administrative decisions on international protection and also to government decision makers, claimants, counsel and international institutions.

The paper was drafted by two British former Immigration Judges in consultation with 35 judges from 22 European countries. The paper was prepared in the framework of the project for the Improved credibility assessment on EU Asylum procedures (CREDO) lead by the Hungarian Helsinki Committee.