Immigration. “Typical case-6”
Asylum and subsidiary protection
Typical situation
A person applies for asylum or subsidiary protection in Lithuania because in their home country:
- they are persecuted for political views, civic activity, journalism or activism,
- they face mobilisation into the army or repression for refusing to serve,
- they experience violence due to ethnicity, religion or other characteristics,
- their family members are also targeted.
Migration Department decision
- The MD often states that the applicant can “safely relocate” to another region of the country.
- Or it argues that the story is “too general” and not linked to individual persecution.
- As a result, both refugee status and subsidiary protection are refused.
What we do in such cases
- We carefully document the entire personal history: participation in protests, photos and videos, social media activity, threats, arrests, police or draft summons, measures taken against family members.
- We help collect objective information on the situation in the specific region (reports by international and human-rights organisations).
- In court we challenge the abstract “internal relocation” argument where in reality the person can be identified and targeted anywhere in the country.
- We seek at least to have the case sent back to the MD for fresh examination, taking into account all additional facts.
Results in practice
- There are cases where the first-instance court upheld a negative decision, but a higher court later found that the assessment had been too superficial and formalistic.
- In such situations MD must re-evaluate the risk, which gives a real opportunity to submit further evidence and change the course of the case.
If your situation is similar
In asylum cases detailed and consistent facts are decisive. The earlier this information is gathered and structured, the better the chances to protect yourself and your family.
