How Country Evidence Can Be Localised to a Particular Region or City

Why Local Conditions May Matter

National-level country information can provide useful background, but it may not address every question concerning a particular location.

Depending on the circumstances of a case, relevant issues may include:

• The area where a person previously lived
• The location where an alleged event occurred
• The area to which a person may be expected to return
• The difference between urban and rural locations
• Local security conditions
• The authorities operating in a particular area
• Access to public or administrative services
• Local social or community conditions
• Conditions affecting a particular group

The relevance of each issue will depend on the facts of the individual case.

For matters requiring more detailed country research, it may be appropriate to consider the specific location alongside wider country information. Country Risk Expert provides country research and expert evidence across a range of regions. Further information about its geographical coverage is available on the Regions page.

What Does Localising Country Evidence Mean?

Localising country evidence involves examining information that relates specifically to the geographic area relevant to the issue being considered.

This does not necessarily mean that national information is unsuitable. National-level evidence may establish broader context, while regional or city-level sources may provide additional detail.

For example, information about conditions in a capital city may not necessarily describe conditions in a remote province. Similarly, information about one province may not establish conditions in every district within that province.

The appropriate geographic level will depend on the particular question being examined.

National Evidence and Local Evidence

National country information may address matters such as:

• General political or security conditions
• National laws and policies
• Country-wide institutions
• General patterns of treatment
• National social or economic conditions

Local information may instead address matters such as:

• Conditions in a particular district
• Local authorities
• Regional security developments
• Local availability of services
• Conditions affecting a particular community
• Differences between neighbouring areas

Both levels of information may be relevant. The key issue is whether the evidence addresses the geographic circumstances that matter to the case.

Identifying the Relevant Location

Before examining local country information, it can be useful to establish precisely which location is relevant.

Depending on the circumstances, this may include:

1. A person's former home area
2. The location where an incident is said to have occurred
3. An area where family members or other relevant contacts remain
4. A proposed return location
5. A particular city, province or district
6. A rural or remote area

The relevant location may not always be limited to one administrative area. The relationship between neighbouring locations may also need to be understood where it is relevant to the question being considered.

Checking Geographic Names and Boundaries

Country research may involve different spellings, transliterations or names for the same place.

It may therefore be useful to establish:

• Alternative names for the location
• The relevant administrative division
• Whether administrative boundaries have changed
• Whether a city or district has changed administrative status
• How the location relates to surrounding areas

This can help reduce the risk of treating information about one location as though it necessarily applies to another.

Types of Local Conditions That May Need Examination

The appropriate research will depend on the issues raised by the individual case. Several categories of local information may sometimes be relevant.

Security and Conflict Conditions

Security conditions may differ between regions within the same country.

Depending on the case, research may consider whether information relates to:

• A specific province or district
• A particular city
• Urban or rural areas
• Recent security developments
• The activities of relevant armed or organised groups
• Changes in control or administration

The date of the information may also be relevant where conditions have changed over time.

Local Authorities and Administration

National laws and policies may provide an important framework, but they may not answer every question about how administrative arrangements operate in a particular locality.

Depending on the issue, research may consider:

• Which authorities operate in the relevant area
• Local administrative structures
• The availability of government offices
• Local documentation procedures
• The practical accessibility of administrative services
• Differences between regions where reliable information identifies them

This should not involve assuming that national rules are applied differently. The purpose is to establish what reliable country information says about the relevant location.

Access to Services

Access to services may also vary geographically.

Depending on the circumstances, relevant information may concern:

• Healthcare
• Education
• Housing
• Transport
• Legal or administrative services
• Documentation services
• Employment opportunities

Information about the availability of a service in a major city may not necessarily establish its availability in a smaller town or rural area.

Social and Community Conditions

Some cases may raise questions about the position of a particular community in a specific location.

Relevant research may include:

• Local community structures
• Social relationships
• Treatment of particular groups
• Local tensions
• Community support networks
• The presence of relevant organisations or institutions

These matters should be considered using information that relates to the particular area rather than assuming that national conditions apply uniformly.

Comparing Sources at Different Geographic Levels

National and local sources may address the same subject from different geographic perspectives.

For example, a national report may describe a broad trend, while another source may provide information about a particular city or district.

Differences between sources do not necessarily mean that one source is inaccurate. They may reflect:

• Different geographic coverage
• Different publication dates
• Different research methods
• Different definitions
• Different events or periods being examined

The geographic scope and date of each source should therefore be considered before drawing conclusions from the material.

Checking the Date of the Information

Local conditions can change over time.

Older information may describe a location at a different point in time, particularly where there have been developments affecting political control, security, administration or infrastructure.

When reviewing local country information, it may be useful to establish:

• When the information was collected
• When the underlying events occurred
• When the source was published
• Whether more recent information is available
• Whether the information remains relevant to the period under consideration

This can be particularly important where the case concerns current or recently changing conditions.

Avoiding Overgeneralisation

Localised country evidence can help distinguish between conditions in different parts of a country. However, information about one neighbourhood, district or city should not automatically be treated as representative of an entire region.

A careful approach can distinguish between:

• What the source directly reports
• The geographic area covered
• The period covered
• Any limitations identified by the source
• What can reasonably be inferred from the available information

This helps keep the assessment connected to the evidence rather than extending a source beyond its stated scope.

When Local Research May Be Particularly Relevant

Localised country evidence may be relevant where the issues in a case are closely connected to a particular geographic area.

Examples may include matters involving:

• A particular city or province
• A local armed or organised group
• Regional political developments
• Local administrative practices
• A specific community
• Conditions in a rural area
• Differences between a person's former location and another proposed location

The need for local research will depend on the facts and issues in the individual case.

A Practical Framework for Localising Country Evidence

A structured approach can help organise research concerning a particular region or city.

Step 1: Define the Geographic Question

Identify the location that needs to be examined and explain why that location is relevant to the issue being considered.

Step 2: Establish the Administrative Context

Check the relevant province, district, municipality or other geographic division, including alternative names that may be used for the location.

Step 3: Identify the Relevant Issues

Determine whether the research concerns security, administration, services, social conditions, documentation or another specific issue.

Step 4: Examine Appropriate Sources

Identify reliable information that directly addresses the relevant location and issue.

Step 5: Compare Geographic Coverage

Check whether each source concerns the country as a whole, a region, a city or a smaller geographic area.

Step 6: Consider Timing

Record the dates of the relevant information and consider whether later developments may affect its relevance.

Step 7: Separate Evidence From Interpretation

Maintain a clear distinction between what the sources report and any professional interpretation applied to the circumstances of the individual case.

Questions to Consider When Reviewing Local Country Information

When reviewing country evidence for a particular location, useful questions may include:

• Does the source specifically cover the relevant location?
• How recently was the information produced?
• Does it cover the period relevant to the case?
• Is the information national, regional or local?
• Does the source identify relevant differences between the area and other parts of the country?
• Does the source explain the basis for its information?
• Are there limitations to its geographic coverage?
• Do other reliable sources provide additional context?
• Are different locations being treated as though they have the same conditions?

These questions can help identify whether further local research may be appropriate.

Conclusion

Country of origin information can provide useful national context, but the circumstances of an individual case may sometimes require closer examination of a particular region, city or district.

Localising country evidence involves identifying the relevant geographic area, examining information that specifically concerns that location, considering the date and scope of the available material, and avoiding assumptions that conditions are identical throughout a country.

The appropriate level of geographic analysis will depend on the facts of the case and the questions that need to be addressed. Where location is an important part of those questions, focused country research may provide more specific evidential context.

For information about the types of country expert services available, see the Services page. For enquiries about a particular matter, the Contact page provides the appropriate route for getting in touch.