Asylum: Baptism
(asked on 24th October 2025) - View Source
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they plan to issue immigration rules on the weight immigration tribunals should put on baptism while in asylum accommodation in the UK when assessing an asylum claim on the grounds of religious conversion.
This question was answered on 12th November 2025
No, however all asylum and human rights claims, including those based on religious conversion, are carefully considered on their individual merits in accordance with our international obligations so that we do not remove anyone who faces persecution or serious harm on return to their country of origin. Assessments are made against the background of relevant case law and the latest available country of origin information. The credibility of a conversion to a particular faith needs to be established, and therefore a claimant’s personal experiences and journey to their new faith are explored in the round, including an assessment of what has happened in their country of origin and in the UK. Claims based on religious conversion do not guarantee a grant of refugee status. It is upon the claimant to establish that a religious conversion is genuine to the’ balance of probabilities’ standard of proof.
No, however all asylum and human rights claims, including those based on religious conversion, are carefully considered on their individual merits in accordance with our international obligations so that we do not remove anyone who faces persecution or serious harm on return to their country of origin. Assessments are made against the background of relevant case law and the latest available country of origin information. The credibility of a conversion to a particular faith needs to be established, and therefore a claimant’s personal experiences and journey to their new faith are explored in the round, including an assessment of what has happened in their country of origin and in the UK. Claims based on religious conversion do not guarantee a grant of refugee status. It is upon the claimant to establish that a religious conversion is genuine to the’ balance of probabilities’ standard of proof.