Refusal letters in South Asian cases lean heavily on Home Office CPINs. There are CPINs touching all five countries covered here, but only Sri Lanka also has a country guidance case. Knowing what the official material says, and what it leaves out, is the starting point for a focused report instruction, especially for Bangladesh, where conditions have moved faster than the CPINs since August 2024.
CPIN Topics by Country
Swipe horizontally to view full table
| Country | CPIN Topics Available |
|---|---|
| Bangladesh | Political parties; Religious minorities; LGBTQ+ |
| India | Sikh separatism; Muslims; LGBTQ+; Caste |
| Sri Lanka | Tamils; LTTE; Human rights defenders |
| Nepal | General background |
| Bhutan | Limited coverage |
Bangladesh, India, Nepal and Bhutan have no current Upper Tribunal country guidance, so for these countries the country report is often the most detailed evidence before the tribunal.
Country Guidance in Force
KK and Others (Sri Lanka: Tamil) CG [2021] UKUT 00245
The country guidance for Tamil appellants. Sri Lanka reports are organised around its risk categories, which include actual or perceived LTTE links, prominent diaspora activism and giving evidence against the state.
For a country-by-country guide to what reports in these appeals need to cover, see commissioning country reports in South Asian appeals.
Bangladesh: Where the CPINs Lag Behind
The Bangladesh CPINs on political parties were written for a country governed by the Awami League. Since Sheikh Hasina's government fell in August 2024, the same parties sit in very different positions, so a refusal relying on those CPINs may misdescribe the risk for both Awami League and BNP supporters. Reports address conditions at the date they are written and flag where the CPIN no longer matches them.
Using a Report Alongside the CPIN
A country report should not repeat the CPIN. It should take the passages the decision-maker relied on and test them: are the sources current, do they cover someone with the appellant's profile, and does other evidence point the other way? Where the CPIN helps the appellant, the report shows how it applies to them; where it does not, the report explains why, with sources the tribunal can check.
All South Asian Asylum Profiles
Questions solicitors ask
- How much weight does a tribunal give a CPIN?
- CPINs set out the Home Office's view of country conditions. They are not binding on the tribunal, but they are often the first source a judge reads, so a country report usually needs to engage with the relevant CPIN directly.
- Which of the five countries has country guidance?
- Only Sri Lanka, through KK and Others (Sri Lanka: Tamil) CG [2021] UKUT 00245. Appeals for Bangladesh, India, Nepal and Bhutan are decided without a guidance case, so the country report is often the main evidence on conditions.
- How does a report respond to a CPIN?
- It identifies the CPIN passages the refusal relies on, checks their dates and sources, and sets out more recent or more specific evidence where the CPIN is out of date or does not address the appellant's profile, as is common for Bangladesh after August 2024.