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The Impact of Brexit on Gender and Asylum Law in the UK

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Gender and Queer Perspectives on Brexit

Part of the book series: Gender and Politics ((GAP))

Abstract

The UK Government has remained silent regarding the envisaged system of international protection for refugees in the UK after the UK leaves the European Union (EU). In this context, this chapter contributes to knowledge by examining the likely impact of Brexit on refugee recognition in the UK from a gender perspective. A gender lens is applied to a historical analysis of the impact of the Qualification Directive 2004, part of the Common European Asylum System (CEAS), on asylum practice in the UK. It is suggested that historic practice and existing international and regional refugee and human rights obligations means leaving the EU is unlikely to immediately and significantly impact decision-making in gender-related asylum claims. However, this chapter highlights the risks associated with the loss of a legal framework underpinned by fundamental rights and effective remedies.

This work was supported by the Arts and Humanities Research Council and the Northern Bridge Doctoral Training Partnership.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    European Union (Withdrawal) Bill 2017–19 (HL Bill 79) (18 January 2018), https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/bills/lbill/2017-2019/0079/18079.pdf, accessed 2 February 2018. At the time of writing, the Bill is being debated in Parliament.

  2. 2.

    Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees (adopted 28 July 1951, entered into force 22 April 1954) 189 UNTS 137; Protocol Relating to the Status of Refugees (adopted 31 January 1967, entered into force 4 October 1967) 606 UNTS 267.

  3. 3.

    Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (consolidated version) [2012] OJ C326/47.

  4. 4.

    Council Directive 2004/83/EC of 29 April 2004 on minimum standards for the qualification and status of third country nationals or stateless persons as refugees or as persons who otherwise need international protection and the content of the protection granted [2004] OJ L304/12.

  5. 5.

    Council Directive 2005/85/EC of 1 December 2005 on minimum standards on procedures in Member States for granting and withdrawing refugee status [2005] OJ L326/13.

  6. 6.

    Council Directive 2003/9/EC of 27 January 2003 laying down minimum standards for the reception of asylum seekers [2003] OJ L31/18.

  7. 7.

    Council Regulation (EC) No 343/2003 of 18 February 2003 establishing the criteria and mechanisms for determining the Member State responsible for examining an asylum application lodged in one of the Member States by a third-country national [2003] OJ L50/1.

  8. 8.

    Directive 2011/95/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 13 December 2011 on standards for the qualification of third-country nationals or stateless persons as beneficiaries of international protection, for a uniform status for refugees or for persons eligible for subsidiary protection, and for the content of the protection granted [2011] OJ L337/9.

  9. 9.

    Directive 2013/32/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 26 June 2013 on common procedures for granting and withdrawing international protection [2013] OJ L180/60.

  10. 10.

    Directive 2013/33/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 26 June 2013 laying down standards for the reception of applicants for international protection [2013] OJ L180/96.

  11. 11.

    Regulation (EU) No 604/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 26 June 2013 establishing the criteria and mechanisms for determining the Member State responsible for examining an application for international protection lodged in one of the Member States by a third-country national or a stateless person (recast) [2013] OJ L180/31.

  12. 12.

    The Refugee or Person in Need of International Protection (Qualification) Regulations 2006.

  13. 13.

    Convention on Preventing and Combatting Violence Against Women and Domestic Violence (adopted 11 May 2011, entered into force 1 August 2014) CETS 210.

  14. 14.

    Council of the European Union. Joint Position of 4 March 1996 defined by the Council on the basis of Article K.3 of the Treaty on European Union on the harmonized application of the definition of the term ‘refugee’ in Article 1 of the Geneva Convention of 28 July 1951 relating to the status of refugees (96/196/JHA) [1996] OJ L63/2.

  15. 15.

    Secretary of State for the Home Department, Ex parte Adan, R v. [1999] 1 AC 293 (2 April 1998); see also Secretary of State for the Home Department, Ex Parte Adan R v. Secretary of State for the Home Department Ex Parte Aitseguer, R v. [2001] 2 AC 477 (19 December 2000).

  16. 16.

    STARRED FD (Protection, UNMIK, Arif, IFA, Art1D) (Kosovo) CG [2000] UKIAT 00001, para. 2, 12, 14.

  17. 17.

    SF (Sufficiency of Protection-KAA-Michigan Guidelines) Iraq CG [2002] UKIAT 07376, para. 13.

  18. 18.

    DM (Majority Clan Entities Can Protect) Somalia [2005] UKAIT 00150, para. 22.

  19. 19.

    Karanakaran v Secretary of State for the Home Department [2000] 3 All ER 449 (25 January 2000).

  20. 20.

    Robinson, R (on the application of) v Secretary of State for the Home Department & Anor [1998] QB 929 (11 July 1997), para. 29.

  21. 21.

    Robinson, R (on the application of) v Secretary of State for the Home Department & Anor [1998] QB 929 (11 July 1997), para. 18.

  22. 22.

    Acevedo 18334, cited in Symes and Jorro (2003, 224).

  23. 23.

    Loi n° 2003-1176 du 10 décembre 2003 modifiant la loi n° 52-893 du 25 juillet 1952 relative au droit d’asile, NOR: MAEX0300032L.

  24. 24.

    Secretary of State for the Home Department v. K, Fornah v Secretary of State for the Home Department [2007] 1 AC 412 (18 October 2006).

  25. 25.

    SB (PSGProtection RegulationsReg 6) Moldova CG [2008] UKAIT 00002, para. 69.

  26. 26.

    Judgment of 7 November 2013, X, Y and Z v Minister voor Immigratie, Integratie en Asiel, Joined Cases C-199/12 to 201/12, ECLI:EU:C:2013:720.

  27. 27.

    Judgment of 2 December 2014, A v Staatssecretaris van Veiligheid en Justitie, Joined Cases C-148/13 to C-150/13, ECLI:EU:C:2014:2406.

  28. 28.

    Judgment of 25 January 2018, F (area of freedom, security and justiceJudgment), C-473/16, ECLI:EU:C:2018:36.

  29. 29.

    European Council (15–16 October 1999). Tampere Presidency Conclusions, http://www.europarl.europa.eu/summits/tam_en.htm, accessed 2 February 2018, para. 13.

  30. 30.

    MI & Anor v Secretary of State for the Home Department [2014] EWCA Civ 826, para. 46.

  31. 31.

    HD (Trafficked women) Nigeria (CG) [2016] UKUT 454 (IAC), para. 21–22.

  32. 32.

    Secretary of State for the Home Department v. K, Fornah v Secretary of State for the Home Department [2007] 1 AC 412 (18 October 2006).

  33. 33.

    Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties (adopted on 22 May 1969, entered into force on 27 January 1980) 1155 UNTS 331.

  34. 34.

    Horvath v. Secretary of State for the Home Department [2001] 1 AC 489 (6 July 2000).

  35. 35.

    Preventing and Combating Violence Against Women and Domestic Violence (Ratification of Convention) Act 2017.

  36. 36.

    See for example Committee on the Rights of the Child, I.A.M. v. Denmark, CRC/C/77/D/3/2016 (25 January 2018); Human Rights Committee, F. and G. v. Denmark, CCPR/C/119/D/2530/2015 (28 June 2017).

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Correspondence to Christel Querton .

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Querton, C. (2019). The Impact of Brexit on Gender and Asylum Law in the UK. In: Dustin, M., Ferreira, N., Millns, S. (eds) Gender and Queer Perspectives on Brexit. Gender and Politics. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-03122-0_9

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