ECRE has published a policy paper on the rights of women and girls in the asylum procedure and the implications of the recently adopted Asylum Procedures Regulation (APR). The paper highlights the challenges faced by women and girls under the current legislation (i.e. the Asylum Procedures Directive (APD)), including those relating to personal interviews, legal counselling, assistance, representation and the right to an effective remedy; special procedural guarantees, the concept of safe countries and special procedures.
Drawing on reports and country reports from inter alia the Asylum information Database (AIDA), the Group of Experts on Action against Violence against Women and Domestic Violence (GREVIO), the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) and the Group of Experts on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings (GRETA), the paper assesses whether the various challenges stem from legislative provisions or implementation gaps. It also evaluates the changes that have been introduced by the APR and their alignment with EU and international laws. Finally, it includes actionable recommendations and examples of best practices.