Queer Asylum in Europe

Description

In June 2011 the United Nations Human Rights Council approved a resolution expressing ‘grave concern at acts of violence and discrimination in all regions of the world, committed against individuals because of their sexual orientation and gender identity’, with Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon emphasising that such persecution was ‘an attack on the universal values that the United Nations and I have sworn to defend and uphold’. Through these actions, the rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people were recognised as human rights at the highest level of international society.

While respect for LGBT rights is promoted as a universal value, this is a view that is far from being universally accepted. More than 2.7 billion people live in states where being homosexual is a crime: in 13 states, homosexuality is punishable by death, while in a further 73 LGBT individuals can be imprisoned because of their sexual orientation/gender identity. Even in states where homosexuality is not a crime, LGBT people often face marginalisation, discrimination, hostility and violence. It is therefore unsurprising that sexual minorities from such states seek refuge in countries in which LGBT rights are more widely respected. Yet, while sexual orientation and gender identity are now generally accepted in most European states as grounds for refugee status, only a small fraction of queers flee-ing homophobia are granted asylum.

To discuss why that is the case and how to improve success rates, the roundtable on Queer Asylum in Europe will bring together activists and policymakers with hands-on experience of working with LGBTQ refugees and asylum-seekers. Following a keynote speech on ‘Protecting LGBTI refugees: a UNHCR perspective’ by Peter Grady, Senior Legal Officer at the UNHCR, Dr Richard Mole (UCL SSEES) will chair a roundtable discussion with Liz Barker (LGBT Spokesperson, House of Lords), Paul Dillane (Executive Director of Kaleidoscope Trust and Member of the UK Government LGBT Advisory Panel) and Moud Goba (Micro Rainbow International and UK Black Pride). The roundtable follows on from the international academic conference on Queer Migration and Asylum in Europe.

Speakers 

• Peter Grady [keynote speaker] - Senior Legal Officer, UNHCR 
• Baroness Liz Barker - LGBT Spokesperson, House of Lords
• Paul Dillane - Executive Director, Kaleidoscope Trust, and member of the UK Government LGBT Advisory Panel
• Moud Goba - Micro Rainbow International and UK Black Pride
• Dr Richard Mole [chair] - Senior Lecturer in Political Sociology, UCL SSEES

Organised by the UCL European Institute, this event is part of the LGBTQ Migration and Asylum strand of our Jean Monnet Centre of Excellence Programme.