do. The question is what is reasonable, both subjectively and objectively, given the individual
claimant and the conditions in the proposed internal flight or relocation alternative.
Can the claimant, in the context of the country concerned, lead a relatively normal life
without facing undue hardship?
24. In answering this question, it is necessary to assess the applicant’s personal
circumstances, the existence of past persecution, safety and security, respect for human
rights, and possibility for economic survival.
Personal circumstances
25. The personal circumstances of an individual should always be given due weight in
assessing whether it would be unduly harsh and therefore unreasonable for the person to
relocate in the proposed area. Of relevance in making this assessment are factors such as
age, sex, health, disability, family situation and relationships, social or other vulnerabilities,
ethnic, cultural or religious considerations, political and social links and compatibility,
language abilities, educational, professional and work background and opportunities, and any
past persecution and its psychological effects. In particular, lack of ethnic or other cultural ties
may result in isolation of the individual and even discrimination in communities where close
ties of this kind are a dominant feature of daily life. Factors which may not on their own
preclude relocation may do so when their cumulative effect is taken into account. Depending
on individual circumstances, those factors capable of ensuring the material and psychological
well-being of the person, such as the presence of family members or other close social links
in the proposed area, may be more important than others.
Past persecution
26. Psychological trauma arising out of past persecution may be relevant in determining
whether it is reasonable to expect the claimant to relocate in the proposed area. The provision
of psychological assessments attesting to the likelihood of further psychological trauma upon
return would militate against finding that relocation to the area is a reasonable alternative. In
some jurisdictions, the very fact that the individual suffered persecution in the past is sufficient
in itself to obviate any need to address the internal relocation issue.
Safety and security
27. The claimant must be able to find safety and security and be free from danger and risk of
injury. This must be durable, not illusory or unpredictable. In most cases, countries in the grip
of armed conflict would not be safe for relocation, especially in light of shifting armed fronts
which could suddenly bring insecurity to an area hitherto considered safe. In situations where
the proposed internal flight or relocation alternative is under the control of an armed group
and/or State-like entity, careful examination must be made of the durability of the situation
there and the ability of the controlling entity to provide protection and stability.
Respect for human rights
28. Where respect for basic human rights standards, including in particular non-derogable
rights, is clearly problematic, the proposed area cannot be considered a reasonable
alternative. This does not mean that the deprivation of any civil, political or socio-economic
human right in the proposed area will disqualify it from being an internal flight or relocation
alternative. Rather, it requires, from a practical perspective, an assessment of whether the
rights that will not be respected or protected are fundamental to the individual, such that the
deprivation of those rights would be sufficiently harmful to render the area an unreasonable
alternative.
Economic survival
29. The socio-economic conditions in the proposed area will be relevant in this part of the
analysis. If the situation is such that the claimant will be unable to earn a living or to access
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