Country expert witness reports
Ethiopia country expert witness reports
Independent country evidence for asylum and immigration cases in the United Kingdom and the United States, written by a named Ethiopia specialist and prepared to the standards of the Tribunal and of the immigration court.
A country report is read by a judge, whether in a UK Tribunal or a US immigration court, who has one question in mind: does the evidence show that this applicant, with this profile, faces a real risk on return. General description of conditions rarely settles that question. What settles it is a specialist who sets the individual account against documented conditions, names the sources, dates them, and says plainly where protection exists on paper and where it fails in practice.
What the report answers
| Question before the court | What the report provides |
|---|---|
| Risk on return | Assessment for the specific profile: ethnicity, region of origin, political association, faith, sur place activity. |
| Sufficiency of protection | Whether federal and regional authorities are able and willing to protect a person of this profile, with reference to conduct since the 2022 cessation agreement. |
| Internal relocation | Whether relocation to Addis Ababa or another region is viable, including identity checks, housing, kebele registration and access to work. |
| Sur place activity | Whether diaspora activity is likely to be known to the authorities and what follows if it is. |
| Documents | Whether the documents relied on are consistent with issuing practice and with the account given. |
Grounds covered for Ethiopia
Instructions in Ethiopian cases usually turn on one of the following, and the report addresses the ground that the appeal actually rests on.
Ethnicity and region. Conflict-related targeting in Tigray, Oromia and Amhara, the practice of ethnic profiling at checkpoints and in detention, and the position of mixed families and those whose identity documents record a region they no longer live in.
Political opinion. Members and perceived supporters of opposition movements, journalists, and those detained under state of emergency provisions, including treatment on release and the reach of surveillance.
Religion. Tension between Orthodox, Muslim and Protestant communities in specific localities, and treatment of converts.
Gender and social group. Conflict-related sexual violence, forced marriage and abduction, and the practical limits of protection outside the capital. Treatment of LGBT people, where criminalisation is compounded by family and community reprisal.
Returnees. Screening on arrival, treatment of those returned from the Gulf states and from Europe, and the position of those without documents.
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Who writes it
Andinet Adinew Tesfaye
Country Expert on East Africa and the Horn of Africa — Legal Researcher and Human Rights Specialist
Ethiopia, Eritrea, Sudan, South Sudan, Somalia, Djibouti and 5 more
Full profile and CV
Dr Daniel Afewerki
Expert at The Human Rights Experts, an international expert witness organisation.
Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, South Sudan and 2 more
Full profile and CVHow instruction works
- Send the brief. Country, ground of appeal, hearing date, and the questions you need answered. A short summary of the account is enough to start.
- Scope and fee confirmed. We reply within one working hour with the expert, the scope, the fee and the delivery date. Legal Aid instructions accepted.
- Report delivered. Usually within one to two weeks. For UK cases the report complies with CPR Part 35 and the Practice Directions of the First-tier Tribunal (IAC) and the Upper Tribunal. For US cases it is prepared as an expert declaration or affidavit for the immigration court (EOIR), with the expert statement of truth, curriculum vitae and a full source list.
- Follow-up. Clarifications, supplementary reports, and oral evidence in person or by video link where the Tribunal or the immigration court requires it.
Sources
Reports rely on country guidance and determinations of the Upper Tribunal, Home Office country policy and information notes, US State Department country reports on human rights practices, UNHCR and OHCHR reporting, Ethiopian Human Rights Commission material, and field and academic sources. Every proposition is cited and dated. Where sources conflict, the report says so and explains which is preferred and why.
Related analysis on Ethiopia
Request an Ethiopia country expert report
Reply within one working hour with expert, scope, fee and delivery date. Legal Aid instructions accepted. Sample report and expert CV on request.
CPR Part 35 and Practice Direction compliant · First-tier and Upper Tribunal · England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland