In asylum law, nexus refers to the required connection between the persecution and a protected ground. In plain English, it asks: Why did the persecutor target this person?
The protected grounds are race, religion, nationality, membership in a particular social group, and political opinion.
Focus on evidence of motive
Useful facts can include what the persecutor said, whom else the persecutor targeted, patterns of conduct, symbols or slurs used, demands made, the applicant's activities or identity, and country evidence showing how similar people are treated.
A persecutor can have more than one motive. Mixed-motive cases can be legally complicated, so avoid reducing the facts to a single sentence if the evidence shows several reasons.
Build a motive section in your evidence file
For each important incident, record who caused the harm, what happened, what was said before or during the event, what the persecutor appeared to know about you, and which documents or witnesses support those facts.
This makes it easier for an attorney or adjudicator to evaluate the connection instead of searching for motive across hundreds of pages.
Official sources
Nexus is a legal issue; this guide is for organizing facts, not deciding whether the legal standard is met.