UI2022003439

Pursuant to rule 14 of the Tribunal Procedure (Upper Tribunal) Rules 2008, [the appellant] ( and/or any member of his family, expert, witness or other person the Tribunal considers should not be identified ) is granted anonymity.

No-one shall publish or reveal any information, including the name or address of the appellant, likely to lead members of the public to identify the appellant ( and/or other person ). Failure to comply with this order could amount to a contempt of court .

              This is an appeal against the determination of First-tier Tribunal Shepherd, promulgated on 13 th April 2022, following a hearing at Birmingham CJC on 18 th March 2022. In the determination, the judge dismissed the appeal of the Appellant, whereupon the Appellant subsequently applied for, and was granted, permission to appeal to the Upper Tribunal, and thus the matter comes before me.

              The Appellant is a male, a citizen of Bangladesh, and was born on 28 th August 1992. He appealed against the decision of the Respondent dated 7 th April 2021 refusing his application for asylum and for humanitarian protection, on the grounds that he was a member of a particular social group, in that he was gay by way of his sexual orientation.

              Importantly, consideration was then given by the judge to the Appellant's answers during his screening interview and his asylum interview. During his screening interview on 18 th April 2016, there are a number of statements to the effect "not asked" next to all of the pertinent questions. Yet, in his asylum interview on 8 th July 2016, the Appellant confirms "that the information provided in his screening interview is correct and he has nothing to add", which the judge found to be "odd" because,