UI2024002012

Pursuant to rule 14 of the Tribunal Procedure (Upper Tribunal) Rules 2008, the appellant 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. Failure to comply with this order could amount to a contempt of court .

            The appellant is a national of Somalia, who arrived in the UK on 3 July 2021 and made a protection claim. His claim was refused by the respondent on 11 November 2022. His appeal against the respondent's decision was dismissed by Judge J G Richards in a decision dated 26 October 2023. The Judge introduced his decision as follows:

He stated that he had been contacted by Al Shabab on three occasions, but on each he declined or refused to join them. He said that they were very angry, as other young people in his area were recruited. When they came back and asked again, he said that he could not, as he was the eldest and had to take care of his family. He said he had 3 sisters, 2 brothers and his mother. He said that they were angry, but that they did not do anything.

The Appellant claimed that he was ultimately released when one policeman recognised his father's name and knew that his father was not a member of Al Shabab. Having been released, the Appellant left the area, although the police kept hold of the money and merchandise that he had bought. He had not had trouble with the police since, but had not encountered them again. He remains in fear of the possibility of being rearrested and of what would happen to him thereafter.