- Awami League
- The Bangladesh Awami League is a major political party in Bangladesh, led by Sheikh Hasina until her departure in August 2024. Under Awami League governments, BNP and Jamaat supporters faced persecution. Post-August 2024, Awami League supporters may face new risks under the transitional government.
- Bangladesh Country PageBangladesh Political ClaimsSouth Asia Asylum Explained
- BNP (Bangladesh Nationalist Party)
- The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) is the main opposition party in Bangladesh, historically allied with Jamaat-e-Islami. BNP supporters faced persecution under Awami League governments. The August 2024 political transition has changed the risk dynamic for BNP supporters in asylum claims.
- Bangladesh Country PagePolitical Persecution ProfileBangladesh 2024 Guide
- BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party)
- The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is India's ruling party, associated with Hindutva ideology and the RSS. BJP-governed states present higher risk profiles for Muslim, Christian, and other minority asylum claimants from India.
- India Country PagePolitical Persecution Profile
- CAA (Citizenship Amendment Act India)
- The Citizenship Amendment Act 2019 provides a fast-track path to Indian citizenship for non-Muslim migrants from Afghanistan, Bangladesh, and Pakistan. Combined with the proposed National Register of Citizens (NRC), it creates particular risk for Muslim residents of Assam and other border states.
- India Country PageReligious Minority Profile
- Caste (South Asian context)
- The caste system is a hierarchical social stratification system in South Asia, particularly significant in India and Nepal. Dalits (formerly 'untouchables') face systematic discrimination and violence. Caste may constitute a particular social group (PSG) for asylum purposes where persecution reaches the required threshold.
- Caste Discrimination ProfileIndia Country PageNepal Country Page
- CPIN
- Country Policy and Information Note. Home Office documents providing country conditions information for asylum decision-making. South Asia CPINs cover Bangladesh, India, Sri Lanka, Nepal, and Bhutan, but may not reflect rapidly changing conditions or profile-specific risk factors.
- CPIN & Country GuidanceSouth Asia CPIN GuideCPIN Challenge Service
- Country Guidance Case
- A country guidance case is an Upper Tribunal decision designated as providing authoritative guidance on country conditions for a particular nationality or profile. For Sri Lanka Tamil claims, KK and Others (Sri Lanka: Tamil) CG [2021] UKUT 00245 is the leading country guidance case.
- CPIN & Country GuidanceSri Lanka KK Guide
- Dalit
- Dalits are members of the lowest castes in the South Asian caste hierarchy, formerly known as 'untouchables'. Dalits in India and Nepal face systematic social exclusion, economic deprivation, and violence. Dalit status may constitute a particular social group for asylum purposes.
- Caste Discrimination ProfileNepal/Bhutan Guide
- Dzongkha
- Dzongkha is the official language of Bhutan. Expert witnesses with Dzongkha language capability can verify Bhutanese documents, media sources, and official communications relevant to Lhotshampa and other Bhutan asylum claims.
- FTT (Immigration & Asylum Chamber)
- The First-tier Tribunal (Immigration and Asylum Chamber) is the primary venue for asylum appeals in the UK. South Asian asylum appeals are heard in the FTT before potential onward appeal to the Upper Tribunal.
- Hindutva
- Hindutva is a political ideology advocating Hindu cultural nationalism in India, promoted by the BJP and RSS. Hindutva targeting of Muslims, Christians, and other minorities is a primary basis for India asylum claims in UK tribunals.
- India Country PageReligious Minority ProfileIndia Asylum Guide
- HJ (Iran) [2010]
- HJ and HT v Secretary of State for the Home Department [2010] UKSC 31. Leading Supreme Court case on LGBT asylum claims, establishing that concealment of sexual orientation to avoid persecution is not a viable solution. Applied to LGBTQ+ South Asian asylum claims including post-decriminalisation India cases.
- LGBTQ+ ProfileIndia Country Page
- Jamaat-e-Islami Bangladesh
- Jamaat-e-Islami is an Islamist political party in Bangladesh, historically allied with the BNP. Jamaat supporters faced persecution under Awami League governments. Post-August 2024 conditions may have changed the risk profile for Jamaat-affiliated claimants.
- Bangladesh Country PagePolitical Persecution Profile
- Janajati (Nepal)
- Janajati refers to indigenous ethnic groups in Nepal, including various hill and mountain communities. Janajati groups face political marginalisation and discrimination, generating asylum claims alongside Madhesi and Tharu ethnic minority claims.
- KK and Others [2021]
- KK and Others (Sri Lanka: Tamil) CG [2021] UKUT 00245. The leading UK country guidance case on Sri Lanka Tamil asylum claims, establishing risk profiles including actual or imputed LTTE associations, diaspora activists, and those who have given evidence against the government.
- Sri Lanka Country PageSri Lanka KK GuideSri Lanka Tamil Case TypeCPIN & Country Guidance
- Khalistan
- Khalistan is a separatist movement advocating an independent Sikh state in Punjab, India. Sikh asylum claimants with actual or imputed Khalistan associations face risk from Indian security forces and may generate diaspora activity risk on return.
- India Country PagePolitical Persecution Profile
- Legal Aid
- Legal Aid is publicly funded legal assistance for eligible asylum appellants in the UK, administered by the Legal Aid Agency (LAA). Expert witness reports in Legal Aid cases require prior authority from the LAA before instruction.
- Lhotshampa
- The Lhotshampa are ethnic Nepali-speaking people who were expelled from Bhutan in the 1990s. Approximately 100,000 fled to Nepal following citizenship stripping. Lhotshampa claims form the primary basis for Bhutan-related asylum claims in UK tribunals.
- Bhutan Country PageNepal/Bhutan Guide
- LTTE (Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam)
- The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) was a Tamil separatist militant organisation in Sri Lanka, defeated in 2009. Post-civil war, actual or imputed LTTE associations remain a key risk factor for Sri Lanka Tamil asylum claims under KK [2021] country guidance.
- Sri Lanka Country PageSri Lanka Tamil Case Type
- Madhesi (Nepal)
- Madhesi people are ethnic groups inhabiting the Terai plains of southern Nepal, sharing cultural ties with India. Madhesi communities face political marginalisation and discrimination in Nepal, generating ethnic minority asylum claims.
- Maoist (Nepal CPN-M)
- The Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) led an armed insurgency from 1996 to 2006. Nepal asylum claims arise from both those persecuted by Maoists during the insurgency and former Maoist combatants facing retaliation from opponents.
- Nepal Country PagePolitical Persecution Profile
- NRC (National Register of Citizens India)
- The National Register of Citizens (NRC) is a proposed register of Indian citizens, piloted in Assam. Combined with the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), it creates risk for Muslim residents who may be excluded from citizenship and face detention or deportation.
- India Country PageIndia Minority Claims
- PSG (Particular Social Group)
- A Particular Social Group is one of the five grounds for refugee status under the Refugee Convention 1951. In South Asian asylum claims, PSGs may include Dalits, LGBTQ+ individuals, religious minorities, and women facing gender-based persecution.
- Refugee Convention 1951
- The Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees 1951, as amended by the 1967 Protocol. The foundation of UK asylum law, defining a refugee as someone with a well-founded fear of persecution for reasons of race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group, or political opinion.
- RSS (Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh)
- The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) is a Hindu nationalist volunteer organisation, the ideological parent of the BJP. RSS networks have national reach in India, relevant to internal relocation arguments and Muslim minority persecution claims.
- India Country PageReligious Minority ProfileIndia Asylum Guide
- s377 IPC/PPC
- Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and Pakistan/Bangladesh Penal Code (PPC) criminalises 'unnatural offences'. India decriminalised s377 in 2018 (Navtej Singh Johar). Bangladesh retains criminalisation. Sri Lanka retains similar provisions. Expert witnesses assess both legal and social persecution.
- LGBTQ+ ProfileBangladesh Country Page
- Sinhalese
- The Sinhalese are the majority ethnic group in Sri Lanka, predominantly Buddhist. Sinhalese Buddhist nationalism creates the political context for Tamil persecution and affects risk assessment for political opposition and human rights defender claims in Sri Lanka.
- State Protection
- State protection analysis assesses whether the authorities in the country of origin are willing and able to protect the appellant from persecution. A central issue in South Asian asylum claims, where formal legal protections often exist but practical enforcement is inconsistent for minorities.
- South Asia Asylum ExplainedCPIN & Country Guidance
- Tamil Eelam
- Tamil Eelam is the proposed independent Tamil homeland in northern and eastern Sri Lanka, advocated by the LTTE and Tamil diaspora organisations. Tamil Eelam advocacy in the UK can create or enhance risk profiles for Sri Lanka Tamil asylum claimants on return.
- Sri Lanka Country PageDiaspora Activity Profile
- UNHCR Guidelines
- UNHCR issues guidelines on international protection for specific profiles and situations. UNHCR guidelines on gender-based persecution, LGBT persons, and religious minorities are relevant to South Asian asylum claims in UK tribunals.
- Upper Tribunal (IAC)
- The Upper Tribunal (Immigration and Asylum Chamber) hears appeals from FTT decisions and issues country guidance cases binding on lower tribunals. KK and Others [2021] is the leading Upper Tribunal country guidance case for Sri Lanka Tamil claims.
- Valmiki (India caste group)
- Valmiki is a Dalit caste group in India, traditionally associated with sanitation work. Valmiki communities face severe social stigma, economic exclusion, and violence. Caste-based persecution claims from Valmiki appellants require community-specific expert analysis.
- Well-Founded Fear
- A well-founded fear of persecution is the central test for refugee status under the Refugee Convention 1951. The fear must be subjectively genuine and objectively well-founded, assessed against current country conditions with the benefit of expert evidence.
- South Asia Asylum ExplainedWhat Is a South Asia Expert Witness?
- EIN (Expert Inquiry Network)
- The Expert Inquiry Network (EIN) directory lists country experts covering Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and Tibet. SouthAsiaExpert connects UK solicitors with qualified experts from this network.