PRACTICAL GUIDE ON NATIONALITY • Where applicants submit relevant documents proving or indicating their nationality or statelessness, these should always be assessed against the background of their asylum claim. There may be cases where the document submitted may establish nationality but is in direct contradiction with the statements of the applicants concerning other material facts (e.g. passport received in person in the country of origin after the applicant’s alleged date of departure). Keep in mind that one piece of evidence alone may be sufficiently probative to support the credibility of the material fact as well as to confirm it (e.g. presenting an authentic national passport). On the other hand, a piece of evidence that is not probative of the material fact on its own (e.g. birth certificate) may support, in combination with other evidence and the statements of the applicant, the credibility of the material fact. Point to remember The credibility assessment combines the assessment of documentary and other evidence, the assessment of the applicant’s statements and the consideration of factors that may lead to distortions. This section will present different types of evidence which can help substantiate an applicant’s nationality (or lack thereof) and highlight certain specificities in this regard: • Statements by the applicant; • Documentary evidence; • Country of origin information; • Other evidence. 5.1. Statements by the applicant Statements may be the only evidence that an applicant can provide to assert their country of origin. Additionally, and in particular for the applicant who states that they (exclusively) hold one nationality, statements may indicate that they may actually hold another (additional) nationality. This may be evident through the information they provide, such as their place of birth, nationality of family members and past residency. Statements can be oral or written, collected during the personal interview or at previous stages of the procedure. When no other, or only limited, documentary evidence is available, it can be especially useful during the personal interview to explore certain topics to help establish the credibility of the person’s alleged nationality or statelessness. 43