The European Council on Refugees and Exiles (ECRE), an alliance of 127 NGOs based in Europe, aspires to protect and “advance the rights of refugees, asylum seekers, and other forcibly displaced persons in Europe and in the external policies of Europe”. Thus, in December 2024, as part of the Empowerment and Protection of Migrant Women (AMAL) project, a report was published analysing the implications of the recently adopted Asylum Procedures Regulation.
The report highlights the obstacles faced by migrant women and girls and proposes concrete recommendations to improve their situations, strengthen asylum management, and create a fair system. Therefore, to ensure that an application is successful, European Union Member States (EUMS) “should conduct personal interviews with applicants before declaring an application inadmissible in line with Article 41 of the Charter”, which guarantees the right to good administration, including the right to be heard, the obligation for the administration to give reasons for its decisions, “and Article 60 of the Istanbul Convention”, which recognizes Gender-Based Violence (GBV) as a form of persecution and requires that asylum procedures be gender-sensitive. Thus, this will also allow them to obtain clear and appropriate information, such as “EUMS should clearly explain that GBV can be a ground for asylum and that women can apply independently of their partners.”
Furthermore, the language barrier is one of the obstacles to the proper processing of applications. The competence of interviewers and interpreters is essential to ensure respectful and appropriate handling of applications. On this point, ECRE suggests to EUMS to ensure that applicants are fluent in the language of the procedures, rather than working with suppositions. The report writers also recommend that interpreters be available and that informational material is accessible. For ECRE, that will ensure that a high standard is kept for the benefit of women and girls persecuted because of their gender.
The report also emphasizes the importance of proper treatment of migrant children and the specific needs of young girls to ensure adequate protection of their rights and bodies. Therefore, ECRE recommends prioritizing multidisciplinary age assessments and conduct them securely to respect human dignity. The report also highlights the importance of addressing the vulnerabilities of sexual assault victims, pregnant girls, and children suffering from Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). The ECRE recommends eliminating nudity and genital examinations. Medical examinations should also be conducted by individuals of the same sex as the patient.
The report is available here :
And for more information:
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