Popovic

MEMORANDUM **

Goran Popovic and Dusica Popovic, both natives and citizens of the Former Republic of Yugoslavia, petition pro se for review of the Board of Immigration Appeals’ (“BIA”) order affirming the Immigration Judge’s (“IJ”) denial of asylum and withholding of removal. We have jurisdiction under 8 U.S.C. § 1252 , and we deny the petition for review.

Petitioners contend that the IJ erred in denying their application based on petitioners’ failure to present corroborating evidence of persecution. This contention fails because a review of the record shows that the IJ’s decision was not based on the absence of corroboration. Moreover, substantial evidence supports the IJ’s conclusion that petitioners failed to establish past persecution or a well-founded fear of persecution on account of an enumerated ground. See Khourassany v. INS, 208 F.3d 1096, 1100-01 (9th Cir.2000).

Because petitioners failed to establish eligibility for asylum, they necessarily failed to meet the more stringent standard for withholding of removal. See Pedro-Mateo v. INS, 224 F.3d 1147, 1150 (9th Cir.2000).

Petitioners contend that they are entitled to relief under the United Nations Convention Against…