LibGuides: Immigration Law Research: Country Conditions/Country of Origin Information (COI) Research

Why Country of Origin Information?

Country of Origin Information (COI) is information gathered from numerous sources on conditions in countries of origin of asylum seekers and others seeking protection. COI is fundamentally important in the adjudication of immigration benefits, petitions, protection determinations, and other immigration related requests including applications for asylum or refugee status, requests for review (RFR’s), intercountry adoptions, waivers of inadmissibility and humanitarian parole requests. Decision makers use country of origin information when deciding whether to grant asylum or other humanitarian requests.

Official Government Reports (U.S.)

CIA - World Factbook
The World Factbook provides information on the history, people, government, economy, geography, communications, transportation, military, and transnational issues for 267 world entities.
DOJ/EOIR - Country Conditions Research
The one stop shop for immigration judges. EOIR (Executive Office for Immigration Review), which is under the DOJ (Department of Justice), is the executive agency of Immigration Judges and the Board of Immigration Appeals. It collects country reports from the U.S. State Department, Foreign Governments, NGOs, and the media.
Human Rights Watch World Report
World Report 2018 summarizes key human rights issues in more than 90 countries and territories worldwide, drawing on events from late 2016 through November 2017.
U.S. Department of State - Advancing Freedom and Democracy Reports
Reports describe U.S. efforts to support democracy and human rights in nondemocratic countries and countries undergoing democratic transitions worldwide.
U.S. Department of State - Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, & Labor
Official United States Government website for human rights related information
U.S. Department of State - Country Reports on Terrorism
U.S. law requires the Secretary of State to provide Congress, by April 30 of each year, a full and complete report on terrorism with regard to those countries and groups meeting criteria set forth in the legislation.
U.S. Department of State - Human Rights Report
Annual reports covering internationally recognized individual, civil, political, and worker rights, as set forth in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and other international agreements. DOS submits reports on all countries receiving assistance and all United Nations member states to the U.S. Congress in accordance with Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 and Trade Act of 1974. These reports are considered very important in asylum claims.
U.S. Department of State - International Religious Freedom Reports
Annual reports on the status of religious freedom in every country. Covers government policies violating religious belief and practices of groups, religious denominations and individuals, and U.S. policies to promote religious freedom.
U.S. Department of State - Trafficking in Persons Report
U.S. Government’s principal diplomatic tool to engage foreign governments on human trafficking. It is also the world’s most comprehensive resource of governmental anti-human trafficking efforts.

Official Government Reports (Reports from U.N., other IGOs, and Foreign Governments)

Researching Country of Origin Information (2013)
Training manual published by Austrian Red Cross/ACCORD (Austrian Centre for Country of Origin and Asylum Research and Documentation)
Canada - Immigration and Refugee Board's National Documentation Packages
The Immigration and Refugee Board (IRB) of Canada produces National Documentation Packages (NDPs) for every country when there is a claim for refugee protection. The NDP is a compilation of publicly available documents that report on country conditions such as political, social, cultural, economic, and human rights conditions.
Denmark - Danish Immigration Service Publications
The Danish Immigration Service's Country of Origin Information Division provides information gathered on fact-finding missions, in which regional experts themselves travel to the countries in question and collect information at meetings with national authorities, international organisations and national NGOs. These reports are translated into English.
ecoi.net (European Country of Origin Information Network)
Country of origin information system of the Austrian Red Cross, gathers, structures and processes publicly available country of origin information with a focus on the needs of asylum lawyers, refugee counsels and persons deciding on claims for asylum and other forms of international protection. Covers more than 150 sources on a regular basis
Finland - Finnish Immigration Service
The Finnish Immigration Service's Country Information Service produces reports on country conditions. Some of these reports are translated into English.
IACHR - Country Reports
IACHR (the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights) provides country reports for nations in the American hemisphere.
International Organization for Migration
Established in 1951, IOM is the leading inter-governmental organization in the field of migration and works closely with governmental, intergovernmental and non-governmental partners
Norway - Norwegian Country of Origin Information Centre
Norway's LandInfo database provides select publications from the Norwegian Country of Origin Information Centre. Some of these publications are translated into English.
Country information and guidance (UK Visas and Immigration)
Resources used by UK Visas and Immigration for decisions in asylum and human rights applications
U.K. - Foreign & Commonwealth Office's Human Rights Reports
The Foreign & Commonwealth Office promotes and protects British interests worldwide. It reports on human rights in other countries.
United Kingdom: Home Office
Lead UK government department responsible for policies on immigration, passports, counter-terrorism, policing, drugs and crime. Country of Origin Information (COI) Service - research and collate information on countries giving rise to asylum claims in the UK. COI Service provides accurate, balanced, relevant, impartial and up-to-date information on asylum seekers' countries of origin which is used by UKBA officials at all stages of the asylum determination process.
refworld
Country of origin information, carefully selected from UNHCR (United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees), international, governmental and non-governmental sources; core international treaties and agreements, national legislation relating to UNHCR's mandate, case law from international, regional and national courts; refugee policy documents and guidelines including UNHCR's position papers relating to specific countries; handbooks and training manuals, and background documents (also see External Links under Resources)
U.N. Universal Periodic Review
Information prepared by the State concerned, which can take the form of a national report, and any other information considered relevant by the State concerned, which could be presented either orally or in writing.

Sources from Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) for COI research

Amnesty International
Non-governmental organization focused on human rights. Issues reports on human rights conditions in countries around the world
Center for Gender & Refugee Studies
Works to protect the fundamental human rights of refugee women, children, LGBT individuals, and others who flee persecution in their home countries
CORI - Country of Origin Research & Information
Independent organization providing specialist research and training on COI to support refugee status determination
Freedom House
An independent watchdog organization dedicated to the expansion of freedom and democracy around the world
Human Rights First
A nonprofit, nonpartisan human rights organization.
Human Rights Watch
Monitors and reports on human rights violations of all types in 90 countries
International Crisis Group - Reports
The site contains detailed reports and analysis and a monthly bulletin, CrisisWatch, which gives an overview of current and potential conflicts around the world.
International Justice Resource Center (IJRC)
Provides information and links to sources about human rights conditions
International Refugee Rights Initiative - COI Expert
Click on a country to view recommended COI experts.

News & Current Awareness

BBC News - Country Profiles
Full profiles provide an instant guide to history, politics and economic background of countries and territories, and background on key institutions. They also include audio and video clips from BBC archives.
International Crisis Group - Crisis Watch
CrisisWatch is a monthly early warning bulletin designed to provide a regular update on the state of the most significant situations of conflict around the world.
Lexis Advance - News
Now, use search bar or browse international sources.
UNHCR-Refworld
News articles pulled from various sources.
Westlaw - News
Select all content (right-hand-column) then plug in keywords

Maps

National Geographic Map Maker Interactive
Can turn on and off markers such as rivers, grid lines, border country names, etc.
UN's Geospatial Information Section
Clunky website, but it provides general maps and mission maps as monitored by the U.N.
University of Texas Perry-Castaneda Map Collection
Such a cool map collection! Search by country or by theme (including the theme ethnography & religion).
UN Refworld Maps