Today, a majority of asylum cases are arguably decided on the basis of evidentiary assessment rather than issues of material law. Although the EU-wide Common European Asylum System purports to harmonise domestic practices at a minimum level, it fails to offer remedies for this crucial issue, which poses challenges for practitioners and academics alike. Without a coherent approach to evidentiary assessment, asylum law will remain fragmented and open to discretionary excess.
Up to now, academic research has not addressed issues of proof and credibility in the asylum procedure to an extent...