Country of origin information (COI)
Statutory definition
The IRB maintains National Documentation Packages (NDPs) for most countries, compiled from publicly available, authoritative sources. NDPs are accessible to claimants and their counsel. Board members are required to take notice of information in the NDP. Parties may also submit their own COI evidence.
Explanation
Country of origin information is the factual foundation of most refugee claims. It corroborates the claimant's testimony by showing that the type of harm they feared actually occurs in their country. Practitioners representing refugee claimants should review the NDP for the claimant's country, identify relevant passages, and supplement with additional sources (NGO reports, news articles, expert affidavits) where the NDP is silent or contradictory. Negative COI (evidence that the feared harm does not occur) can be used by the RPO to challenge the claim.