[1] This is an indication of how each country compares with others and how it is changing from one year to the next. The assessment is based on a questionnaire that assesses both structural issues and specific incidents. Further details are available from an Open Doors web site (www.opendoorsuk.org). MEC contributes to the information gathering used in the compilation. For the ranking, the lower the figure the greater the persecution in the country relative to others. In contrast, the higher the score the greater the persecution in that country.