Challenging queer migration narratives. A case study of sexual orienation and gender identity (SOGI) rights in the Belgian asylum procedure.

Description: Forced migration continues to captivate social discourses, which often represent refugees as predominantly male, heterosexual, cisgender (and homophobic/transphobic) individuals. However, many people flee their home due to the persecution they fear on the ground of their sexual orientation and gender identity (SOGI). To receive international protection, SOGI refugees have to construct a narrative which proofs the credibility of their queerness and the well-foundedness of their fear of persecuction - in the eye of the beholder. The asylum procedure leaves SOGI refugees and state actors to negotiate with(in) the legal framework to come to the same understanding of SOGI rights, despite different cultural contexts and the dominance of Western frameworks. Building on the critical insights of queer and post-colonial scholars, the research will analyse the narratives used by SOGI refugees and state actors in the Belgian asylum procedure.
Promoter(s): Ellen Desmet, Marlies Casier
Researcher(s): Liselot Casteleyn
Department / Research group: Migration Law Research Group
Faculty: Faculty of Law and Criminology
Period: 2021 - 2025