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

• Superior document: IMISCOE Research
• Author: Danisi, Carmelo.
• TeilnehmendeR: Dustin, Moira.; Ferreira, Nuno.; Held, Nina.
• Year of Publication: 2021
• Language: English
• Series: IMISCOE Research
• Physical Description: 1 online resource (497 p.)
• Notes: Description based upon print version of record.

This two-volume open-access book offers a theoretically and empirically-grounded portrayal of the experiences of people claiming international protection in Europe on the basis of their sexual orientation or gender identity (SOGI). It shows how European asylum systems might and should treat asylum claims based on people’s SOGI in a fairer, more humane way. Through a combined comparative, interdisciplinary (socio-legal), human rights, feminist, queer and intersectional approach, this book examines not only the legal experiences of people claiming asylum on grounds of their SOGI, but also their social experiences outside the asylum decision-making framework. The authors analyse how SOGI-related claims are adjudicated in different European frameworks (European Union, Council of Europe, Germany, Italy and UK) and offer detailed recommendations to adequately address the intersectional experiences of individuals seeking asylum. This unique approach ensures that the book is of interest not only to researchers in migration and refugee studies, law and wider academic communities, but also to policy makers and practitioners in the field of SOGI asylum.

Table of Contents

Intro -- 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