The claimant is a 23-year-old woman who fears discrimination and harassment in her country of origin. She alleges that she is a member of a minority group that is treated badly in her country and that the police and government do not take their complaints seriously. She alleges that she was discriminated against in school, in the workplace, and has trouble finding a good place to live. She also alleges that she has been pushed and yelled at on public transportation by other citizens. The country conditions evidence is mixed. On one hand there are numerous reports documenting mistreatment. On the other hand, there are reports that the situation has improved in the last five years and that the government measures to address discrimination are bearing fruit, as seen in the sharp increase in prosecutions for hate crimes and in the improved conditions in education and housing.

Questions

Which evidence in either scenario either helps establish or calls into question the basis for the claim?

Which evidence in either scenario either helps establish or calls into question the persecutory nature of the feared harm?

How might you address such concerns about the objective basis or the nature of the feared harm?