CGS19 v Minister for Immigration, Citizenship, Migrant Services and Multicultural Affairs
[2021] FCA 968
At a glance
Source factsCourt
Federal Court of Australia
Decision date
2021-08-17
Before
Mr J, Rangiah J
Source
Original judgment source is linked above.
Judgment (8 paragraphs)
Background 5 The appellant is a citizen of Kenya, who arrived in Australia in January 2015. The appellant had initially applied for a Partner Visa, but that application was refused after his relationship broke down. 6 On 14 August 2017, the appellant applied for a Protection Visa. On 5 July 2018, a delegate of the Minister refused the appellant the grant of that visa. 7 On 5 July 2018, the appellant applied for review of the delegate's decision to the Tribunal. There was a lengthy process before the Tribunal, the appellant having sought postponements of hearings on six occasions. On 4 May 2019, the Tribunal made its decision to affirm the delegate's decision. 8 The appellant then applied for judicial review of the Tribunal's decision to the Federal Circuit Court. On 28 July 2020, the primary judge dismissed the application for judicial review. The appellant then filed a notice of appeal in this Court.
The Tribunal's decision 9 The Tribunal summarised the appellant's claims to fear harm as follows: 4. If he returns to Kenya he will be killed for the following reasons: • As a Kikuya (sic) he will be killed by members of non-Kikuyu tribes who for a long time viewed the Kikuya (sic) community as their enemy. Non-Kikuyu tribes have already started a wave of violence as a result of 8 August 2017 election and post-election violence. There have been sectarian killings in Kenya as a result. • Whenever there is inter-ethnic violence which breaks out, Kikuyu like himself are always the main targets of other tribes. • He will be killed by Kenyan police killing squads that target Kikuyu youth they suspect to be members or sympathisers of Mungiki. The authorities have never stopped extrajudicial targeted assassinations against Kikuyu youths they suspect of being Mungiki members and he fears he will be killed just like his uncle was killed. • Kenyan authorities fan sectarian violence as a tool for maintaining political control and they often seek revenge against ordinary Kikuyu like the applicant against Kikuyu elites running the country. They targeted Kikuyu youths like himself on "false allegations that we belong to the outlawed Mungiki gang". 10 The reference to "Mungiki" was to a criminal gang in Kenya comprised of Kikuyu youths. 11 The Tribunal, at [20] of its decision record, summarised a further claim. The appellant had been charged with rape in Australia and had spent 285 days remanded in custody before the prosecution decided not to proceed with the case and he was released. The appellant claimed to fear being assaulted or killed in Kenya because he would be imputed with the conduct that had been alleged against him in Australia. 12 The Tribunal stated that it had concerns about the appellant's credibility and the veracity of his claims. The Tribunal observed that the appellant had declined to answer questions at hearings. 13 The Tribunal stated that it was, "not satisfied that important aspects of the applicant's background and claims are true". The Tribunal then proceeded to give 14 reasons for that finding. Those reasons can be summarised as follows: The appellant had claimed to have left Kenya in 2009 after his uncle, allegedly a high ranking person within the Mungiki gang, was killed, whereas he had in fact remained in Kenya for five years after his uncle's death. The appellant's claims with respect to the Mungiki gang were unclear and changed over time, and also involved contradictions as to his alleged involvement with the gang. The appellant failed to provide sufficient detail as to his involvement with the Mungiki gang to allow the Tribunal to be satisfied of his claims. The appellant's evidence as to why his marriage had broken down had changed over time, depending upon the visa application he was making. The appellant's claim to have had a profile contrary to the Mungiki gang's values was contradictory with his claims to have been affiliated with the gang and the recipient of beneficial information from them. The appellant's evidence was inadequate to satisfy the Tribunal that his profile resulted in him being a target of the Mungiki gang. The appellant claimed to fear being targeted as a Kikuyu by non-Kikuyu tribes, but had not claimed to have been harmed by any such tribes in the past, and did not satisfactorily explain why he had not been harmed or targeted by them. The appellant had the opportunity to escape to neighbouring East African Community countries during the five years he claimed his life was at constant risk, but did not do so. The appellant and his (then) partner had booked a trip to Kenya in 2015, which was inconsistent with his claim to fear harm there. Despite the appellant's claims to have been living a life in fear and in hiding while in Kenya, the appellant had, in other visa applications, made statements indicating that he and his wife were living a normal life in Kenya, including working as a radio presenter and event host, and that he was travelling into and out of Kenya whenever he wished, despite risking coming to the attention of the authorities. These matters undermined his claims to be an important target for the Mungiki gang and the Kenyan authorities. In correspondence with the Department of Immigration, Citizenship, Migrant Services and Multicultural Affairs (the Department) in relation to a Partner Visa application, the appellant explained why he wanted to remain in Australia, but had not raised any fear of harm if required to return to Kenya. The appellant had failed to disclose that he had a right to reside in Turkey and had a job available to him there, and the appellant's evidence to the Tribunal on this matter was inconsistent. The appellant had previously supplied Kenyan police certificates and Ministry of Interior documents to the Department, which demonstrated a willingness to approach and engage with the Kenyan authorities. Statements made by the appellant in his protection visa application contradicted his claims to have been involved with the Mungiki gang. The appellant had told the Department, when responding to a notice of intention to cancel his Bridging Visa, that he had never had any trouble with the Kenyan authorities. Upon his arrival in Australia, the appellant lodged other visa applications instead of seeking a Protection Visa. It was not until those other applications failed that he sought protection. 14 The Tribunal summarised its findings at [171] of its decision record: On the basis of the adverse credibility finding the Tribunal does not accept that the applicant has experienced any of the adverse interest or harm or targeting claimed in Kenya, for any of the reasons claimed (as a young, educated, male, Christian, musician, of Kikuyu ethnicity, as a result of 2007/2008 post-election events, for reason of any family connections, as imputed Mungiki involvement, from Kenyan Police killing squads or any aspect of the Kenyan authorities, government, ruling Kikuyu elites, or from Mungiki or opposition supporters or non-Kikuyu tribes). It does not accept that he or his family experienced difficulties or harm in the 2007/2008 post-election violence. It does not accept that that the applicant was related to Njuguna Gitau nor anyone involved in the Mungiki nor that he or his father or brother were targeted or of adverse interest nor that he was questioned or threatened or harassed from any source (nor that his father fled to the USA in fear as claimed). The Tribunal does not accept that the applicant was involved or imputed to be involved in the Mungiki nor that he received tip-offs from the Mungiki in order to avoid police killing squads, nor that would he faces (sic) a real chance or real risk of being considered a defector by anyone. It does not accept that he lived in hiding or was in fear in Kenya nor that he left Kenya because of fear of harm. It does not accept that he has received threats or been the subject of adverse attention or interest since he left Kenya. 15 The Tribunal went on to consider each of the claims made by the appellant in more detail: At [172]-[175], the Tribunal rejected the appellant's claim that he feared harm as a Kikuyu person and that he faced a real chance of harm for that reason. At [176]-[180], the Tribunal rejected the appellant's claim that he feared harm from the Mungiki and that he faced a real chance of serious harm from the Mungiki. At [181], the Tribunal rejected the appellant's claim that he faced a real chance of serious harm or a real risk of significant harm from the police as a suspected Mungiki sympathiser or member or because he is a Kikuyu youth, or for any other reason. At [183]-[184], the Tribunal rejected the appellant's claim that he faced a real chance of serious harm or a real risk of significant harm because of the charges of sexual assault he had faced in Australia. 16 The Tribunal concluded at [185]: The Tribunal has considered the applicant's claims individually and on a cumulative basis, having regard to the findings that the applicant is not a credible witness concerning past events or future harm feared, as well as the relevant country information other than those claims accepted above, the Tribunal rejects all the various claims made and finds that he does not have a well-founded fear of persecution as a refugee for any of the reasons put forward by him or on his behalf. 17 The Tribunal then went on to consider and reject the appellant's claim for complementary protection at [187]-[189]. Those paragraphs will be set out later in these reasons. 18 The Tribunal concluded that it was not satisfied that the appellant was a person in respect of whom Australia had protection obligations under s 36(2)(a) of the Migration Act 1958 (Cth) (the Act) or s 36(2)(aa) of the Act. Accordingly, the Tribunal affirmed the decision not to grant the appellant a protection visa.