ECLJ: U.K. Tribunal Upholds Decision Granting Syrian Christian Couple Asylum After Threats
(United Kingdom) - The Asylum and Immigration Tribunal in the United Kingdom has upheld a decision of an immigration court of appeals that for the first time recognized the plight of Syrian Evangelical Christians with Muslim backgrounds seeking asylum in the United Kingdom.
The precedent setting victory was announced in September 2008 by the European Centre for Law and Justice (ECLJ), which assisted the young couple (whose identity is being withheld to protect their safety). The couple was granted refugee status in the U.K. The Court recognized that if the couple returned to Syria, the country of origin of the husband, they would face very real physical threats that could result in their deaths. The Court granted the appeal on both asylum and human rights grounds.
The U.K. Secretary of State appealed that decision to the Asylum and Immigration Tribunal. A hearing was held in January and the tribunal has now upheld the earlier decision granting the couple asylum.
"This new decision is a very important victory for the protection of Christian minorities from Islamic Countries," said Grégor Puppinck, ECLJ representative. "This decision shows that the European jurisdictions must start to realize that becoming a Christian in some countries can lead to persecution. At the same time, this decision will have diplomatic ramifications as well with the U.K. now have to recognize the plight of Christians when dealing with Syria on foreign policy issues."
The couple, former adherents of Islam, converted to Evangelical Christianity (the husband in 2003 and the wife in 2005) and thereafter became open witnesses of the Christian faith to Muslims through internet chat rooms. As a result of their conversion, which is deemed 'apostasy' under Sharia law and subject to death, the couple began receiving death threats which included a video of a beheading. The husband’s family told him that if he did not return to Islam the family would move against him and “wash their shame” – a phrase that he was told meant that he would be put to death.
In its landmark decision, the Court recognized that a true commitment to Evangelical Christianity requires evangelism and that the circumstances of such converts to Evangelicalism in the Muslim world do pose a serious threat to life.
The couple was represented by the European Centre for Law and Justice, based in Strasbourg, France.
You can read more about this landmark decision here.
A growing number of Christians are now leaving Islamic countries and seeking asylum in Europe. Very often, these Christians are escaping not only poverty and discrimination, but also persecution.
The ECLJ is currently working on cases concerning Christians from the Middle East and Asia who have been forced to convert to Islam - including those who have been tortured because of their Christian faith.
This phenomenon of Christian religious refugees is new for most of the European jurisdictions. Many times, those jurisdictions do not understand the reality and the specific nature of the dangers faced by the religious minorities, because those dangers do not only come from the State, but also comes from the population and even from the family.
For example, there are currently, pending at the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR), a number of cases concerning Iranian converts to Christianity who have been denied asylum in Turkey and expelled back to Iran where 'apostasy' can result in a death sentence. The ECLJ is working on these cases. The ECLJ has also introduced before the ECHR two applications in support of Egyptian Christians seeking asylum in the U.K. to avoid forced conversion to Islam.
The European Centre for Law and Justice (ECLJ) is an international law firm focusing on the protection of human rights and religious freedom in Europe and worldwide. The ECLJ is affiliated with the American Center for Law and Justice (ACLJ) which focuses on protecting religious freedom in the United States. Attorneys for the ECLJ have served as counsel in numerous cases before the European Court of Human Rights. Additionally, the ECLJ has special Consultative Status with ECOSOC of the United Nations, and is accredited to the European Parliament.
The precedent setting victory was announced in September 2008 by the European Centre for Law and Justice (ECLJ), which assisted the young couple (whose identity is being withheld to protect their safety). The couple was granted refugee status in the U.K. The Court recognized that if the couple returned to Syria, the country of origin of the husband, they would face very real physical threats that could result in their deaths. The Court granted the appeal on both asylum and human rights grounds.
The U.K. Secretary of State appealed that decision to the Asylum and Immigration Tribunal. A hearing was held in January and the tribunal has now upheld the earlier decision granting the couple asylum.
"This new decision is a very important victory for the protection of Christian minorities from Islamic Countries," said Grégor Puppinck, ECLJ representative. "This decision shows that the European jurisdictions must start to realize that becoming a Christian in some countries can lead to persecution. At the same time, this decision will have diplomatic ramifications as well with the U.K. now have to recognize the plight of Christians when dealing with Syria on foreign policy issues."
The couple, former adherents of Islam, converted to Evangelical Christianity (the husband in 2003 and the wife in 2005) and thereafter became open witnesses of the Christian faith to Muslims through internet chat rooms. As a result of their conversion, which is deemed 'apostasy' under Sharia law and subject to death, the couple began receiving death threats which included a video of a beheading. The husband’s family told him that if he did not return to Islam the family would move against him and “wash their shame” – a phrase that he was told meant that he would be put to death.
In its landmark decision, the Court recognized that a true commitment to Evangelical Christianity requires evangelism and that the circumstances of such converts to Evangelicalism in the Muslim world do pose a serious threat to life.
The couple was represented by the European Centre for Law and Justice, based in Strasbourg, France.
You can read more about this landmark decision here.
A growing number of Christians are now leaving Islamic countries and seeking asylum in Europe. Very often, these Christians are escaping not only poverty and discrimination, but also persecution.
The ECLJ is currently working on cases concerning Christians from the Middle East and Asia who have been forced to convert to Islam - including those who have been tortured because of their Christian faith.
This phenomenon of Christian religious refugees is new for most of the European jurisdictions. Many times, those jurisdictions do not understand the reality and the specific nature of the dangers faced by the religious minorities, because those dangers do not only come from the State, but also comes from the population and even from the family.
For example, there are currently, pending at the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR), a number of cases concerning Iranian converts to Christianity who have been denied asylum in Turkey and expelled back to Iran where 'apostasy' can result in a death sentence. The ECLJ is working on these cases. The ECLJ has also introduced before the ECHR two applications in support of Egyptian Christians seeking asylum in the U.K. to avoid forced conversion to Islam.
The European Centre for Law and Justice (ECLJ) is an international law firm focusing on the protection of human rights and religious freedom in Europe and worldwide. The ECLJ is affiliated with the American Center for Law and Justice (ACLJ) which focuses on protecting religious freedom in the United States. Attorneys for the ECLJ have served as counsel in numerous cases before the European Court of Human Rights. Additionally, the ECLJ has special Consultative Status with ECOSOC of the United Nations, and is accredited to the European Parliament.
