Evidence-Hearing and Evidence-Making

Abstract

This chapter explores how cultural assumptions and Northern European preferences impact the assessment process for nonreligious asylum seekers. It highlights the challenges in articulating non-belief in a system that favours linear, logical narratives. The chapter contrasts the formal language of assessment institutions with the realities faced by claimants, revealing the transformation of evidence-hearing into evidence-making, and the inherent biases within this process. By examining specific case studies and testimonies, it sheds light on the procedural and interpretative obstacles that nonreligious individuals face.