Historic decision by the CJEU: Female asylum seekers who believe in gender equality can receive refugee status
Female asylum seekers who believe in gender equality can qualify for refugee status if this belief risks being a "reason for persecution" in their country of origin, the Court of Justice of the European Union on June 11th.
The case involves two Iraqi teenage girls whose initial asylum applications in the Netherlands were rejected. They then reapplied for asylum, arguing that they had adopted Western customs during their long stay in the country. Their applications were rejected again, so they went to court.
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The Court of Justice of the European Union ruled on June 11th that women and girls who "identify with the fundamental value of equality between women and men" can qualify for refugee status if the situation in their country of origin makes this a "reason for persecution", according to DPA.
The Court also determined that "a long stay in a member state, especially when it coincides with a period during which a minor applicant has developed their identity", must be considered when determining whether applicants are at risk of persecution for adopting Western values.
The judges added that if an asylum seeker is a minor, EU countries must "determine concretely the best interests of that minor as part of an individual assessment".
Since the Court of Justice is the highest court of the EU, the ruling is final and cannot be appealed.
