In December 2020, Liselot Casteleyn (she/her) started as a PhD researcher with the Migration Law Research Group, focusing on sexual orientation and gender identity (SOGI) asylum claims. Under the supervision of prof. Ellen Desmet and prof. Marlies Casier, she will use a queer and post-colonial framework to analyse the complexity of the asylum procedure for SOGI refugees, who have to prove their sexual orientation or gender identity in a context dominated by Western frameworks. She will consider both the narratives used by SOGI refugees to claim their rights, and those used by state actors to assess their entitlement to these rights. The research is further embedded in the Human Rights Centre and CESSMIR of UGent.

Liselot holds a master’s degree in criminology (2017) and conflict & development (2019). Before starting her doctoral research, Liselot worked as a scientific researcher at the Institute for International Research on Criminal Policy (IRCP) at the University of Ghent on two short term projects. Later, she had the opportunity to get to know and work for two socially engaged organisations, first as a job counsellor for vzw JES and later as a staff member for HUURpunt vzw.