Queering Asylum in Europe : : Legal and Social Experiences of Seeking International Protection on Grounds of Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity.

• Superior document: IMISCOE Research Series
• Author: Danisi, Carmelo.
• TeilnehmendeR: Dustin, Moira.; Ferreira, Nuno.; Held, Nina.
• Place / Publishing House: Cham : : Springer International Publishing AG,, 2021.; ©2021.
• Year of Publication: 2021
• Edition: 1st ed.
• Language: English
• Series: IMISCOE Research Series
• Physical Description: 1 online resource (497 pages)

Table of Contents

Queering Asylum in Europe -- Preface for Volume 1 -- Preface for Volume 2 -- Foreword: On the Importance of Intersectionality Within Policy and Research -- Contents -- List of Acronyms and Abbreviations -- Part I: Contextualising SOGI Asylum Research -- Chapter 1: Why Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Asylum? -- 1.1 Seeking Asylum: Why Focus on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity -- 1.2 The International and European Legal, Policy and Social Context -- 1.3 Framing Our Research -- 1.4 The Structure of These Volumes -- References -- Chapter 2: Researching SOGI Asylum -- 2.1 Introduction -- 2.2 Methods -- 2.2.1 Semi-structured Interviews -- 2.2.2 Focus Groups -- 2.2.3 Observations in Courts -- 2.2.4 Online Surveys -- 2.2.5 Documentary Analysis -- 2.2.6 Freedom of Information Requests -- 2.3 Ethical Implications: Doing Research with SOGI Refugees -- References -- Chapter 3: A Theoretical Framework: A Human Rights Reading of SOGI Asylum Based on Feminist and Queer Studies -- 3.1 Introduction -- 3.2 A Human Rights Approach to SOGI Asylum: What Role for Rights? -- 3.2.1 Human Rights and SOGI: Reconsidering Personhood Through a SOGI and Anti-stereotyping Lens -- 3.2.2 Human Rights and the Refugee Convention: Establishing the Right Relationship -- 3.2.3 Human Rights as an Independent Basis for Protection in SOGI Asylum: From Procedural Guarantees to Substantive Fairness -- 3.3 A Feminist Approach to SOGI Asylum -- 3.3.1 Feminism and Multiculturalism -- 3.3.2 Intersectional Feminist Writing -- 3.3.3 Anti-essentialism -- 3.3.4 Recognising Agency -- 3.4 Queer Theoretical Approaches to SOGI Asylum -- 3.4.1 Queer Theoretical Understanding of Sex, Gender, Sexuality and Identity -- 3.4.2 Intersectional Queer Approaches -- 3.4.3 Queer Geographies -- 3.5 Concluding Remarks -- References.

Part II: The Legal and Social Experiences of SOGI Asylum Claimants and Refugees -- Chapter 4: The Policy and Guidance -- 4.1 Introduction -- 4.2 Social and Legal Dimensions of SOGI -- 4.3 The National Asylum Systems -- 4.3.1 The Key Legal Instruments and Actors -- 4.3.2 Degree of Compliance with Supranational and International Obligations -- 4.4 SOGI Dimensions of Domestic Asylum Systems -- 4.4.1 Milestones in Policy and Guidance -- 4.4.2 Vulnerability and SOGI Asylum -- 4.5 Refugee Status Determination (RSD) Outcomes and Life After the Decision on a SOGI Asylum Claim -- 4.6 From Policy to Law, from Law to Practice -- References -- Chapter 5: Life in the Countries of Origin, Departure and Travel Towards Europe -- 5.1 Introduction -- 5.2 Life in the Countries of Origin -- 5.2.1 'Ordinary' Lives -- 5.2.2 Treatment of SOGI Minorities in Countries of Origin -- 5.3 'It Suddenly Happened' -- 5.3.1 Forced Departures -- 5.3.2 Journey Experiences -- 5.4 The Arrival in Europe -- 5.4.1 Information on SOGI Asylum -- 5.4.2 Initial Screenings -- 5.4.3 Initial Reception and Detention -- 5.5 Concluding Remarks -- References -- Chapter 6: The Decision-Making Procedure -- 6.1 Introduction -- 6.2 The Preparation of Asylum Claims and Legal Aid -- 6.2.1 The Preparation for the Main Interview and Judicial Hearing(s) -- 6.2.2 Access to, and Quality of, Legal Representation -- 6.2.3 Training of Volunteers, Lawyers and Staff Working with SOGI Claimants -- 6.3 The Main Interview: Actors and Procedures in SOGI Asylum -- 6.3.1 The Interview Setting -- 6.3.2 The Selection and the Training of Caseworkers -- 6.3.3 The Conduct of Interviews -- 6.4 The Judicial Procedure -- 6.4.1 The Appeal Setting -- 6.4.2 The Conduct of Hearings and the Adoption of Decisions -- 6.5 Country of Origin Information -- 6.6 Interpretation -- 6.7 Other Procedures -- 6.8 Concluding Remarks -- References.

Chapter 7: The Asylum Claim Determination -- 7.1 Introduction -- 7.2 Using the Grounds for the Recognition of Refugee Status -- 7.2.1 Choosing from the Five Refugee Convention Grounds -- 7.2.2 SOGI and 'Particular Social Group' -- 7.3 Reaching the Persecution Threshold -- 7.3.1 The Criminalisation of Same-Sex Acts -- 7.3.2 The 'Discretion Argument' -- 7.3.3 The 'Internal Relocation Alternative' -- 7.4 Proving Claims Based on SOGI -- 7.4.1 Standard and Burden of Proof -- 7.4.2 Types of Evidence -- 7.5 The Assessment of Credibility -- 7.5.1 Stereotyping 'Gayness' -- 7.5.2 Be 'Out and Proud' - The Western Way -- 7.5.3 A Persisting Culture of Disbelief -- 7.6 Outcomes of the RSD Process and What Lays beyond SOGI - Through an Intersectional Lens -- 7.7 Concluding Remarks: Assessing the Assessor -- References -- Chapter 8: Housing and Accommodation -- 8.1 Introduction -- 8.2 Asylum Accommodation Policies -- 8.3 Standard of Asylum Accommodation -- 8.4 Living in Shared Accommodation, Being 'in the Closet' and Experiencing Discrimination and Hate Crime -- 8.4.1 Accommodation of Couples -- 8.4.2 Intersectional Dimensions of Accommodation -- 8.4.3 Accommodation of Non-binary, Trans and Intersex Claimants -- 8.5 Rural/Urban -- 8.6 Homelessness and Destitution -- 8.7 Housing After the Asylum Claim Process -- 8.8 SOGI Accommodation -- 8.9 Detention -- 8.10 Concluding Remarks -- References -- Chapter 9: Health, Work and Education -- 9.1 Introduction -- 9.2 Physical and Mental Health -- 9.2.1 Access to Healthcare -- 9.2.2 Access to Specialist Treatment -- 9.2.3 Experiences of Sexual Violence and Torture -- 9.2.4 Mental Health -- 9.3 Work -- 9.3.1 The Right to Work -- 9.3.2 Voluntary Work and Community Involvement -- 9.3.3 Sexual Exploitation and Sex Work -- 9.3.4 Discrimination and Exploitation in Employment -- 9.4 Education and Training -- 9.5 Concluding Remarks.

References -- Part III: Forging a New Future for SOGI Asylum in Europe -- Chapter 10: SOGI Asylum in Europe: Emerging Patterns -- 10.1 Introduction -- 10.2 Identities -- 10.2.1 Homogenisation -- 10.2.2 Stereotypes -- 10.2.3 Language and Culture -- 10.3 Discrimination -- 10.3.1 Racism -- 10.3.2 Homophobia, Transphobia and Cross-Cutting Discrimination -- 10.4 Place -- 10.4.1 Receiving Country and Region -- 10.4.2 Isolation -- 10.5 Agency -- 10.5.1 Losing Agency -- 10.5.2 Taking Control -- 10.6 Concluding Remarks -- References -- Chapter 11: Believing in Something Better: Our Recommendations -- 11.1 So What? -- 11.2 The Journey to Europe and Reception -- 11.3 The Asylum Application Process -- 11.3.1 Institutional and Policy Framework -- 11.3.2 Procedural Rules -- 11.3.3 The Asylum Claim Determination -- 11.4 Detention and Accommodation -- 11.5 Life 'Beyond Papers' -- 11.6 Building Capacity and Enhancing Competences -- 11.7 Something to Look Forward To -- References -- Index.