European Parliament - Gender related asylum claims in Europe: A comparative analysis of law, policies and practice focusing on women in nine EU Member States (2012)

19/08/2016

The report on Gender related asylum claims in Europe seeks to identify good practices in order to encourage EU Member States to improve the gender-sensitivity of asylum systems and ensure greater harmonisation of policies, protocols and practices across the EU while mainstreaming a gender perspective. The report provides a review of the asylum system and practices in Belgium, France, Hungary, Italy, Malta, Romania, Spain, Sweden and United Kingdom. Recommendations to European agencies, member states and bodies include:

European parliament, Council and Commission should provide EU-wide gender guidelines to ensure the asylum procedure is gender-sensitive
Member states should publish gender-disaggregated data annually and adopt and implement specific national gender guidelines for asylum applicants
EASO should implement the recommendations of the En-Gendering the European Asylum Support Office report
The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe should promote the importance of gender-sensitive asylum systems in all member states
The European Institute for Gender Studies (EIGE) should promote the integration of the gender dimension in all aspects of EU asylum policies
UNHCR should compile all guidelines into a single resource for policy makers and practitioners and translate into all EU official languages
The Fundamental Rights Agency (FRA) should conduct research on the reception, detention and integration of women asylum seekers
The CEDAW Committee should adopt the draft General Recommendation on Gender Equality in the Context of Forced Displacement and Statelessness
NGOs active in asylum should appoint gender focal points and liaise with women’s civil society actors