Collection and use of country of origin information in the United Kingdom's refugee status determination process: The case of Sri Lanka

This contribution explains the role of country of origin information (COI) both in establishing the credibility of asylum applicants and determining how well-founded their fears are. The authors describe the process of claiming asylum in the UK, the solicitor's role at these different stages, and the circumstances under which solicitors make use of various kinds of expert evidence. They go on to explore the role of the ‘country expert’ as a provider of such information, with comments on the structure of expert reports and on the kinds of issues commonly dealt with, using a case study to illustrate these points. The authors then discuss their joint visits to Sri Lanka (the country of origin of asylum seekers with whom they have worked), reflecting on their different methods of working as well as the kinds of information obtained, and how this fed into the asylum process in subsequent cases.