The World March of Women of Euskal Herria, through the European March, has joined the campaign of the Feminist Asylum coalition. The aim of the campaign is to call for effective recognition of the specific causes by which LGBTIQA+ women, girls and people can apply for asylum.

As explained, women, girls and people from the LGBTIQA+ group have specific reasons for leaving their home and seeking asylum abroad, often related to male violence (domestic violence, sexual exploitation, forced marriage, genital mutilation, trafficking in persons, discriminatory laws, etc.). ). Even when the road to exile is taken, at all times they are at risk of machista violence and exploitation: “Sexual violence by traffickers or in refugee camps, in countries where sexual or labour exploitation occurs and trafficking in persons, including in Europe, threats, trauma and great risks to sons and daughters.”

Faced with this reality, both the Council of Europe Convention on Combating Trafficking in Human Beings of 2008 and the Istanbul Convention of 2011 have pointed out that Europe has an obligation to ensure asylum procedures in a dignified and effective manner. In practice, however, they have denounced that the commitments made are fulfilled by “very few countries” of Europe: “They do not take into account the causes of asylum applications related to gender-based violence, as the conditions of observation and analysis of each particular case are not adequate to detect specific forms of violence, or because representatives of national authorities disregard the duty of reception”.

So things have seen the need to demand that things change the way they are militants in Europe and have joined the Feminist Asylum campaign. The coalition of different movements, collectives, associations, parties and trade unions in favour of the rights of women, girls and the LGBTIQA+ group has made a request that it intends to convey to the European Commission, the European Parliament, the European Council and the governments of the Schengen states. The document is available in several languages [click on this link to read it in Basque] and requires concrete measures to ensure that all international conventions signed in Europe and in the Schengen area are not useless.

The request contains the following three points:

- Provide the European Commission and national governments with the necessary resources to establish the appropriate procedure and structure for the effective recognition of the specific causes of asylum for LGBTIQA+ women, girls and people.

- the effective entry into force of the Istanbul Convention and the Council of Europe Convention on the Fight against Trafficking in Human Beings, and the creation of a European surveillance structure to ensure its compliance for the recognition, assistance and international protection of victims of gender-based violence.

- Legal channels allow LGBTIQA+ women, girls and people to seek asylum in Europe.

The duration of the campaign shall be six months, during which both groups and individuals may accede to the request. The Women's World March of Euskal Herria has called on the citizens to sign this petition through the website www.feministasylum.org.