A client came to our weekly immigration drop in to seek assistance with his asylum claim. He explained to me that the reason he fled his home country, Iran, was due to his conversion to Christianity. He was born to a Muslim family but informed me that he did not agree with Islamic teachings in Iran and had never been a practicing Muslim.

He was introduced to Christianity after he assisted a young girl who was having a seizure on the side of a road. He carried the girl to the local hospital where she made a full recovery. Our client and the girl’s grateful father became friends; eventually, the girl’s father informed our client that he was a Christian. As our client had never had a good relationship with religion, he was intrigued as to why the girl’s father had found such happiness from Christianity and he was subsequently gifted a bible and eventually began attending house church in secret. In Iran, the punishment for converting from Islam to Christianity can be death if caught. Many people however wish for the freedom of religion so badly that they still choose to convert or renounce their religion whilst being aware of the risks they are taking and the secrecy they must live their lives with.

In October 2016, the house church that our client attended was raided by the Iranian authorities. At the time of the raid, our client was not present at this meeting. He became aware of the raid when he received a telephone call from his neighbour informing him that his house was being raided; he believes that the authorities forced the Church goers to tell them the identities of the other Christian converts. Our client managed to flee the city and spent some time with a family member, but due to the high risk of being caught, left Iran after a few months. He travelled to the UK by lorry and by plane where he claimed asylum upon his arrival.

It is virtually impossible to live life openly as a Christian convert in Iran. Even when living discreetly, the risk of being caught can be high. Freedom of religion is a fundamental human right however there is widespread discrimination, oppression and persecution of individuals throughout the world because of their religious choices. It is extremely difficult to imagine having to be so secretive with your religion, which to many, is a core part of life. Since arriving in the UK, our client has taken an active role in multiple churches and is embracing the ability to live life as a Christian without the worry of being caught, arrested, tortured and potentially killed by both state and non-state actors because of his religious views.

The legal position

Following our meeting at the drop in, I arranged an appointment to see our client with an interpreter. When an asylum seeker arrives in the UK, they will have a brief interview at an airport, a port or a police station to establish the reasons for their claim. This is called a screening interview. Together, we read through his screening interview to check for any discrepancies or amendments that the Home Office needed to be made aware of. I provided him with in depth advice surrounding the asylum process, the potential outcomes and the strengths and weaknesses of his case and asked detailed questions regarding his experiences to deepen my understanding of his case. With asylum claims, it’s necessary to keep sensitivity at the forefront of your mind and understand that an individual has fled their home country, leaving their entire life and often family members behind. With this in mind, the approach I take whilst obtaining instructions from my clients is professional yet empathetic, ensuring the questions asked do not make my clients feel uncomfortable, yet still preparing them for their substantive interview with the Home Office.

Following our initial meeting, my client and I obtained evidential proof of his conversion to Christianity including letters from the Church outlining that he is attending weekly and his baptism certificate which are taken into account by the Home Office when deciding the outcome of his case.

He then attended his substantive interview where he was asked almost 200 questions regarding the persecution he fears in Iran, questions to establish his nationality and questions relating to his conversion to Christianity. We subsequently met to read through every question and answer together to establish whether any amendments needed to be made.

The Home Office accepted my client’s asylum claim and he was subsequently granted refugee status for an initial period of five years. This limited leave can be renewed to indefinite leave to remain prior to expiry provided that he still meets the refugee criteria. We met for a final meeting where I ensured that he had all the information he needed to begin his life in the UK. My client has integrated into the UK quickly and less than two weeks following his grant of refugee status, he had found a job and is currently in full time employment and undertaking evening classes to improve his English skills.