When gay refugees seek asylum based on fear their lives are at danger due to antigay violence or persecution, they’re interviewed to assess the validity of their claim.
Until now, it hasn’t been unheard of for asylum seekers to be subjected to highly invasive, archaic tests, and more often than not, they’re asked inappropriate questions of a sexual nature.
But the EU’s top court has ruled that these refugees should not have to submit to undignified tests and questions.
The news comes after three men, including a Ugandan and one from a Muslim country, were denied asylum by a Dutch court after not sufficiently convincing officials they were actually gay.
The European Court of Justice (ECJ) ruled that asylum seekers must be treated with respect to human dignity.
Czech authorities were harshly criticized in 2011 for using a “phallometric test” to evaluate legitimacy. The test measures blood flow to the penis when a subject is shown sexually charged stimuli. The practice dates back to communist times, and some argue against its validity.
Additionally, asylum seekers can no longer be asked probing questions about their sex lives. Authorities are allowed to ask questions about sexual orientation, but not sex acts themselves.
via BBC News
Ladbrook
WTF. “You’re gay? Yeah, well prove it. Here’s a pic of a naked wiener, now show us your boner.”
It does make you feel sorry for those gay refugees who suffer from ED.
NoCagada
@Ladbrook: Or if they are strictly tops!
Clay83
Well unfortunately they do need to try come up with something to prove whether these refugees are really gay.
damon459
@Clay83: What like pink triangle arm bands? The last thing we need in this world is idiot’s advocating we prove who we are!
Kevin B
@damon459: Refugee status in Europe is highly valued throughout the world. If simply saying the words “I’m gay” were enough to gain it then lots of undeserving people would get it that way.
jd2222248
WOW! Couldn’t they have used a lie-detector test?
onthemark
@Kevin B: Couldn’t they just ask the prospective gay refugees to do a simple color-coordination test? Or rearrange some furniture?
vive
@Kevin B, given the stigmatization of gay people in many immigrant communities, it is very unlikely that someone would claim to be gay unless he or she really were gay.
FStratford
You cant just “take their word for it”. They have to prove they are gay some way. The old test was effective but is a very queasy one.
That is naive and dangerous. Just because someone says he is gay doesnt mean he is. Otherwise it can be abused. Refugee status for gays is there to help gay people. If its is abused, gays could lose this avenue to escape persecution – and the people who would suffer are the real gays, the ones who need it the most.
inbama
@damon459: If you’re going to call people “idiots,” you should at least not spell it with an apostrophe.