The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) prepares Country Information Reports for protection status determination purposes. They provide factual overviews distinct from Australian Government policy and do not contain policy guidance for decision makers.
According to Ministerial Direction 84 of 24 June 2019, issued under the Migration Act 1958:
Where the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade has prepared [a] country information assessment expressly for protection status determination processes, and that assessment is available to the decision maker, the decision maker must take into account that assessment, where relevant, in making their decision. The decision maker is not precluded from considering other relevant information about the country.
Reports are prepared with regard to the protection visa caseload at a given point in time, without reference to individual applications. They provide DFAT’s best assessment at the time of writing.
Reports draw on in-country knowledge and discussions. They take into account reporting from a range of credible sources, including: other governments, United Nations agencies, human rights and civil society organisations, local and international media and academia. Source details may be omitted to protect sources.
Country information reports
Bangladesh
Updated 23 July 2025
China
Updated 27 December 2024
Hong Kong Special Administrative Region
Updated 4 April 2025
- DFAT thematic report Protests: laws, articles and ordinances - Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, People’s Republic of China [PDF 825 KB]
- DFAT thematic report Protests: laws, articles and ordinances - Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, People’s Republic of China [DOCX 841 KB]
Egypt
Updated 1 December 2025
Ethiopia
Updated 12 August 2020
Fiji
Updated 8 October 2025
India
Updated 29 September 2023
Indonesia
Updated 24 July 2023
- Indonesia country information report [PDF 8.32 KB]
- Indonesia country information report [DOCX 819 KB]
Iran
Updated 24 July 2023 (Version 2)
Iraq
Updated 16 January 2023
Lebanon
Updated 26 June 2023
Malaysia
Updated 24 June 2024
Myanmar
Updated 7 April 2025
Nepal
Updated 1 March 2024
Nigeria
Updated 3 December 2020
Pakistan
Updated 30 April 2025
Papua New Guinea
Updated 25 July 2025
- Papua New Guinea country information report [PDF 1.6 MB]
- Papua New Guinea country information report [DOCX 1 MB]
Philippines
Updated 23 August 2021
Sri Lanka
Updated 2 May 2024
Thailand
Published 18 December 2023
Türkiye
Updated 16 May 2025
Vietnam
Updated 19 February 2025
Older reports are available to those with a reasonable request by emailing: CIS@dfat.gov.au