Home Office Country Policy and Information Notes (CPINs) provide the starting point for country conditions analysis in UK asylum proceedings. This guide maps current CPIN coverage for South Asian countries and identifies where expert evidence is needed to fill gaps.
Bangladesh CPINs cover political parties, religious minorities, and LGBTQ+ issues, but may not reflect post-August 2024 conditions. India CPINs address Sikh separatism, Muslims, LGBTQ+, and caste, but internal relocation analysis often requires expert supplementation. Sri Lanka CPINs cover Tamils, LTTE, and human rights defenders, aligned with KK [2021].
Nepal has only general background CPIN coverage. Bhutan has limited CPIN coverage. For both countries, expert evidence is particularly valuable as there is no UK Upper Tribunal country guidance to supplement the CPINs.
Expert witnesses challenge CPIN positions where they do not reflect the appellant's specific profile, provide updated analysis beyond CPIN publication dates, and address district-specific or community-specific risk factors that generic CPINs cannot cover.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are South Asia CPINs updated for post-2024 Bangladesh conditions?
CPIN updates may lag behind rapidly changing conditions. Expert witnesses provide current analysis that supplements or challenges CPIN positions, particularly for Bangladesh political claims where the August 2024 transition has materially changed country conditions.