Part I International Refugee Law— Reflections on the Scholarly Field, Ch.4 Queering International Refugee Law

Subject(s):

Sexual orientation — Asylum — Non-refoulement

This chapter investigates the links between asylum law and policy and sexual orientation and gender identity (SOGI). Although human rights have been increasingly recognized irrespective of one’s SOGI at international, regional, and domestic levels, legal frameworks do not yet tackle violations of such rights effectively. As a result, members of SOGI minorities may be forced to flee their countries of origin, often making SOGI-based asylum claims in host countries. Since the inception of the Refugee Convention, there has been a continuous battle for recognition of SOGI claims within a system that was not designed with SOGI minorities in mind. The chapter thus explores key aspects of SOGI asylum that ultimately question the heteronormative relations of power in asylum law and highlights how legal and policy frameworks may be reformed. It considers how refugee law has been progressively queered, looking at the range of legal and policy instruments that play a role in this queering process. Finally, the chapter identifies the key actors that have contributed to the development of SOGI refugee law and assesses the specific needs of SOGI asylum claimants and refugees.