Fleeing Persecution Asylum Claims in the UK on Religious Freedom

conversion, prohibition of membership of a religious community, of worship <strong>in</strong> community with
o<strong>the</strong>rs <strong>in</strong> public or private, of religious <strong>in</strong>struction or serious measures of discrim<strong>in</strong>ation imposed
on <strong>in</strong>dividuals because <strong>the</strong>y practice religion, belong to or are identified with a particular religious
community, or have changed <strong>the</strong>ir faith. 74 As mentioned above, Article 10.1(b) of <strong>the</strong> EC
Qualification Directive of 2004 provides a non-exhaustive description of religion as a ground for
persecution:
1. Member States shall take <strong>the</strong> follow<strong>in</strong>g elements <strong>in</strong>to account when assess<strong>in</strong>g <strong>the</strong>
reasons for persecution:
(b) <strong>the</strong> concept of religion shall <strong>in</strong> particular <strong>in</strong>clude <strong>the</strong> hold<strong>in</strong>g of <strong>the</strong>istic, non-<strong>the</strong>istic
and a<strong>the</strong>istic beliefs, <strong>the</strong> participation <strong>in</strong>, or abstention from, formal worship <strong>in</strong> private
or <strong>in</strong> public, ei<strong>the</strong>r alone or <strong>in</strong> community with o<strong>the</strong>rs, o<strong>the</strong>r religious acts or
expressions of view, or forms of personal or communal conduct based on or mandated
by any religious belief;
Discrim<strong>in</strong>ation on <strong>the</strong> grounds of religion may too reach <strong>the</strong> threshold of serious harm. As UNHCR
notes discrim<strong>in</strong>ation that is persecutory may <strong>in</strong>clude (though not exhaustive): serious restrictions
on <strong>the</strong> right to earn a livelihood or to access services such as education and health services or
where economic measures are imposed which ‘destroy <strong>the</strong> economic existence’ of a particular
religious group. 75 <strong>Persecution</strong> for reasons of religion can take various forms <strong>in</strong>clud<strong>in</strong>g serious
measures of discrim<strong>in</strong>ation imposed on persons because of <strong>the</strong>ir religious practice or belong<strong>in</strong>g.
In assess<strong>in</strong>g whe<strong>the</strong>r discrim<strong>in</strong>atory treatment or o<strong>the</strong>r treatment reaches <strong>the</strong> threshold of serious
harm, both <strong>the</strong> harm <strong>in</strong>flicted upon and subjective perceptions of <strong>the</strong> <strong>in</strong>dividual must be
considered. In particular, no-one should be required to hide <strong>the</strong>ir religious belief <strong>in</strong> order to avoid
persecution. 76 As UNHCR has said <strong>in</strong> its evidence to <strong>the</strong> APPG and <strong>the</strong> AAG:
“Due consideration must be given to <strong>the</strong> nature of <strong>the</strong> right <strong>in</strong>fr<strong>in</strong>ged as well as <strong>the</strong>
personal circumstances of <strong>the</strong> applicant. It is important to highlight that one’s religious
belief, identity or way of life can be seen as so fundamental to human identity that one
should not be compelled to change this <strong>in</strong> order to avoid persecution. To deny an applicant
refugee status on <strong>the</strong> basis that <strong>the</strong>y could be expected to modify religious behaviour to
avoid persecution is impermissible.”
Moreover, <strong>the</strong> freedom of thought, op<strong>in</strong>ion and expression also protects those who don’t believe
and as set out <strong>in</strong> <strong>UK</strong> guidance, extends protection to those who do not hold or express religious
belief. As <strong>UK</strong> guidance states ‘Refugee law does not require a person to express false support for
an oppressive regime or require an agnostic to pretend to be a religious believer to avoid
persecution. Individuals cannot be expected to modify <strong>the</strong>ir beliefs, deny <strong>the</strong>ir religious faith (or
lack of one) or feign belief <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> ‘approved’ faith to avoid persecution.’ 77
74
UNHCR Guidel<strong>in</strong>es on International Protection: Religion-Based Refugee <strong>Claims</strong> under Article 1A (2) of <strong>the</strong>
1951 Convention and/or <strong>the</strong> 1967 Protocol relat<strong>in</strong>g to <strong>the</strong> status of refugees, para. 12:
http://www.unhcr.org/40d8427a4.html
75
See UNHCR Handbook and Guidel<strong>in</strong>es on Procedures and Criteria for Determ<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g Refugee Status under
<strong>the</strong> 1951 Convention and <strong>the</strong> 1967 Protocol relat<strong>in</strong>g to <strong>the</strong> status of Refugees, December 2011, para 54 and
63: and UNHCR Guidel<strong>in</strong>es on International Protection: Religion-
Based Refugee <strong>Claims</strong> under Article 1A (2) of <strong>the</strong> 1951 Convention and/or <strong>the</strong> 1967 Protocol relat<strong>in</strong>g to <strong>the</strong>
status of refugees, para17, available at: http://www.unhcr.org/40d8427a4.html
76
See <strong>the</strong> ‘HJ HT’ pr<strong>in</strong>ciple adopted by <strong>the</strong> <strong>UK</strong> Supreme Court <strong>in</strong> RT (Zimbabwe)v SSHD (2012)
which sets out that <strong>the</strong> 1951 Convention affords no
less protection to <strong>the</strong> right to express political op<strong>in</strong>ions openly than it does to live openly as a homosexual.
77
See <strong>UK</strong>VI <strong>Asylum</strong> Policy Instruction, Assess<strong>in</strong>g Credibility and Refugee Status, 6 January 2015, para 7.3,
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