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Photo: Flags - Philip Tellis
This country expert database review surfaces new findings drawn from 120+ countries this quarter — Iran, Russia, Belarus, Tajikistan, Azerbaijan, Honduras, El Salvador, Guatemala, Mexico, Pakistan, China, Eritrea, Sudan, Syria, Afghanistan, and many more. It serves as a navigational guide to the expert evidence base our network has consolidated since January 2026, with current findings on persecution patterns, state protection, and internal relocation across each context.[1]
The database is organised by region for navigation. Each entry includes the most recent findings, key sources, and links to dedicated country guides where published.
Countries with active findings
Regional groupings
Current findings period
Update cycle
Middle East and North Africa
| Country | Q1-Q2 2026 finding |
|---|---|
| Iran | Post-war crackdown; Hijab Law continuing; 11 strong profiles. Guide |
| Iraq | Post-IS reconstruction; LGBT criminalisation bill 2024 in force. |
| Syria | Post-Assad transition; HTS-led government; minority protection concerns. |
| Yemen | Houthi vs internationally-recognised government; child recruitment. |
| Egypt | Continued mass political imprisonment; LGBT prosecutions. |
| Saudi Arabia | Continuing women's rights restrictions despite reforms; LGBT death penalty. |
| Libya | Migrant detention conditions; competing governments. |
| Tunisia | Sub-Saharan migrant targeting since 2023; press restrictions. |
| Algeria | Hirak prosecutions; Kabyle activist targeting. |
| Morocco/W. Sahara | Sahrawi activist targeting; press freedom decline. |
Central Asia and Eastern Europe
| Country | Q1-Q2 2026 finding |
|---|---|
| Russia | Continued anti-war prosecutions; Article 207.3 framework; opposition imprisonment. |
| Belarus | Continued post-2020 political prisoner waves; OVD-Info documentation. |
| Tajikistan | 2022 Khorog Pamiri massacre legacy; ongoing persecution. |
| Uzbekistan | Selective improvement; continuing religious freedom restrictions. |
| Turkmenistan | Most closed country; targeting of dissidents abroad. |
| Azerbaijan | Continued political prisoner waves; post-2023 Karabakh. |
| Armenia | Generally stable; some refugee-source contexts. |
| Georgia | Post-2024 elections; LGBT law concerns; backsliding. |
| Ukraine | Russian-occupied territory targeting; conscription concerns. |
South Asia
| Country | Q1-Q2 2026 finding |
|---|---|
| Afghanistan | Continued Taliban restrictions; women's PSG; ethnic Hazara targeting. |
| Pakistan | Ahmadi prosecutions; Christian blasphemy cases; Baluchistan disappearances. |
| India | Hindu nationalist mob violence; Kashmir restrictions; CAA implications. |
| Sri Lanka | Post-2022 protests; Tamil reconciliation incomplete. |
| Bangladesh | Post-2024 political transition; minority protection concerns. |
| Myanmar | Post-2021 coup; Rohingya genocide; ethnic conflict continuing. |
East Asia and Pacific
| Country | Q1-Q2 2026 finding |
|---|---|
| China | Uyghur targeting; Hong Kong activist diaspora risk; Falun Gong; Tibet. |
| North Korea | Continued total persecution; defector risk on return. |
| Vietnam | Article 117 political prisoner cases; religious minorities. |
| Cambodia | Political opposition prosecutions. |
Latin America
| Country | Q1-Q2 2026 finding |
|---|---|
| Honduras | State of exception; gang adaptation; 380+ femicides. Guide |
| El Salvador | Bukele state of exception; mass imprisonment; gang reduction. |
| Guatemala | Anti-corruption activists; indigenous defenders. |
| Nicaragua | Continued Ortega regime; political prisoners; citizenship stripping. |
| Venezuela | Continued Maduro regime; massive displacement; political prisoners. |
| Colombia | Post-FARC paramilitary successor groups; defender killings. |
| Mexico | Cartel violence; journalist killings; femicide. |
| Cuba | Post-2021 protests; political prisoners; emigration. |
| Haiti | Gang control of capital; widespread sexual violence. |
Africa
| Country | Q1-Q2 2026 finding |
|---|---|
| Eritrea | Indefinite national service; religious persecution; political prisoners. |
| Sudan | Civil war continuing; ethnic targeting in Darfur; sexual violence. |
| South Sudan | Inter-ethnic conflict; sexual violence weaponised. |
| Ethiopia | Tigray ceasefire status; Amhara situation. |
| Somalia | Al-Shabaab continuing; clan-based violence. |
| DRC | M23 in east; widespread sexual violence. |
| Cameroon | Anglophone crisis continuing. |
| Nigeria | Boko Haram; ISWAP; Niger Delta; Christian/Muslim violence. |
| Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger | Junta governments; jihadist violence; civilian targeting. |
| Rwanda/Uganda | Political opposition prosecutions; LGBT criminalisation. |
Database Patterns
Common patterns across the 120+ countries with active findings.[2]
- State of exception emerges as governance pattern — Honduras, El Salvador.
- Anti-war prosecution becomes major category — Russia, Belarus.
- LGBT criminalisation expanding — Iraq 2024 bill, Uganda, Ghana proposal.
- Indigenous and Afro-descendant defender targeting — Honduras, Brazil, Colombia.
- Diaspora surveillance increasing — Iran, Russia, China, Eritrea actively monitoring.
- Gang violence as governance failure — Central America, Haiti.
- Women's PSG framework expanding — Afghanistan as paradigmatic case.
The 120+ country database confirms a fragmented international protection landscape. Some patterns recur — diaspora surveillance, state-of-exception governance, defender targeting — but each country requires specific expertise. The work of country experts is fundamental to making protection real.
Country Expert Database Quarterly Summary
Conclusion
The Q1-Q2 2026 country expert database covers 120+ countries with active asylum profiles. Database updates quarterly; users can navigate by region or specific country. Strong cases combine country-specific expertise with the universal framework of Convention grounds, PSG analysis, and non-state persecution framework.
Footnotes
- UNHCR Country of Origin Information; UK Home Office CPINs; US State Department reports 2025-2026
- UNHCR Global Trends 2024; UN OHCHR country reports 2025
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