We explore judges’ perceptions of asylum court appeals based on conversion from Islam to
Christianity. Our court ethnography in Germany and Austria in 2018 and 2019 provides an
insight into how such claims are discussed during appeals. At the time they were increasingly
common, especially concerning Iranians and Afghans involved in ...
We explore judges’ perceptions of asylum court appeals based on conversion from Islam to
Christianity. Our court ethnography in Germany and Austria in 2018 and 2019 provides an
insight into how such claims are discussed during appeals. At the time they were increasingly
common, especially concerning Iranians and Afghans involved in ‘free churches’ (e.g.
Evangelical, Pentecostal or charismatic). We show how rumours, congregations’ reputations
and assumptions about baptism and what genuine conversions entail are discussed. These
factors can not only influence appellants’ cases, but reveal church-state tensions and some of
the intractable challenges of refugee status determination.