Udenrigsudvalget 2015-16
URU Alm.del Bilag 279
Offentligt
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Emne:
Female refugees high risk of being victims of gender-based violence
Female refugees high risk of being victims of gender-
based violence
Women and girls fleeing from persecution or turmoil in
their home countries are particularly at risk of physical,
sexual and psychological violence when seeking
sanctuary, in transit and when they arrive in the EU. In
advance of World Refugee Day on 20 June, FRA’s latest
summary report of migration-related fundamental rights
concerns, throws the spotlight on the plight of female
refugees at reception and accommodation centres. This
issue will also feature during discussions on improving refugee
protection as part of FRA’s 4-day Fundamental Rights Forum which also
opens that day.
“Basic
daily tasks like taking a shower exposes female refugees to potential acts of
violence. Member States urgently need to find ways of managing the refugee
situation in full respect of fundamental rights so that women and girls are not put
at risk,”
says FRA Director
Michael O’Flaherty.
“FRA’s
Fundamental Rights Forum
seeks to find solutions to ensure refugees can enjoy their rights to life, dignity and
freedom from slavery. The Forum is a unique opportunity to bring people with a
human rights vision together to suggest ways forward.”
Access the
monthly data collection highlights
and
gender based-
violence
>>
The reports identifies a number of issues in relation to preventing, identifying and
addressing victims of gender-based violence, including the alarming lack of data
from Member States on violence against women and girls that are newly arrived or
need international protection. It points to the shared use of bathrooms and showers
in reception and accommodation centres particularly in the evenings or at night
that are not separated for men and women. Sometimes such facilities are
accessible via unlit corridors and doors that cannot be locked. Such issues expose
women and girls to greater risks, and leave them feeling unsafe.
Victims rarely report their attacks. This is often due to fear about the repercussions
on the victim’s asylum claim or from the perpetrator (especially when it comes to
domestic violence), and the lack of information about what can be done. In some
Member States, if they flee the centre without permission because of fear or
because they have been attacked then they may also be judged as having
committed an offence.
Various EU and national laws and policies take gender-based violence into
consideration when it comes to granting asylum and when receiving asylum
seekers. However, drawing on data from the nine Member States most affected
by the migration flows, FRA has identified challenges in identifying, reporting and
protecting female refugees which Member States should tackle. These include:
 URU, Alm.del - 2015-16 - Bilag 279: Orientering fra FRA (EU’s agentur for grundlæggende rettigheder) vedrørende risikoen for, at kvinder på flugt udsættes for overgreb
No Member State
collects data
on reported incidents of gender-based
violence towards female refugees that have just arrived or need
international protection.
Information
on gender-based violence, how to report it and where to
seek help is not usually available in reception centres.
Victims are reluctant to report
to reception centre authorities or the
police. Most Member States are taking steps to address this. These
include: asylum interviews with women in private rooms by trained staff
and interpreters of the same sex separated from the husband; information
material and sessions; and ‘women-only’ spaces.
Nearly half of the Member States have guidelines or procedures to
identify
and deal with victims. However, they are not always effective and
training
is often lacking.
All Member States offer
some form of prevention of gender-based
violence and protection for victims.
Most commonly this includes
separate accommodation for newly-arrived unaccompanied migrant
women and access to women’s shelters for victims. Sometimes victims can
receive medical and psycho-social support, and report incidents of violence
but protective and preventative measures are rarely comprehensive and
seldom coordinated.
Most Member States have
no special procedures for children
who are
victims of violence.
Some Member States
lack legal support
or adequate interpretation for
victims of gender-based violence in reception centres.
To better protect female refugees the European Parliament has also recently
called for new gender guidelines. In addition, the European Commission has
suggested that the EU ratifies the Council of Europe’s violence against women
convention (the Istanbul Convention) which also covers migration and asylum. It
would then join the 14 Member States that have already ratified the Convention
(all 28 have signed it) which provides a solid legal basis for addressing violence
against all women.
The European Commission asked FRA to collect data about the fundamental
rights situation of people arriving in Member States particularly affected by large
migration movements. The countries covered are: Austria, Bulgaria, Croatia,
Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Slovenia and Sweden.
FRA has published overviews since September 2015. Each overview covers
different issues including:
initial registration and asylum applications;
criminal proceedings initiated for offences related to irregular border
crossing;
child protection;
reception conditions for new arrivals;
access to healthcare;
public response such as rallies of support, humanitarian assistance or
voluntary work;
racist incidents such as demonstrations, online hate speech or hate crime.
 URU, Alm.del - 2015-16 - Bilag 279: Orientering fra FRA (EU’s agentur for grundlæggende rettigheder) vedrørende risikoen for, at kvinder på flugt udsættes for overgreb
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While this month has a section looking specifically at gender-based violence, last
month’s focus was on trafficking and smuggling. Next month will be on local
communities.
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