EU countries can grant asylum to Afghan women based on nationality and gender, the European Court of Justice (ECJ) ruled on Friday.
4.10. 17:47•Updated 4.10. 19:33
EU countries can grant asylum to Afghan women based on nationality and gender, the European Court of Justice (ECJ) ruled on Friday.
The court made its decision after Austrian authorities refused to recognize the refugee status of two Afghan women. The women first complained about the matter to the Supreme Administrative Court of Austria, from where the matter proceeded to the EU Court of Justice.
The Taliban movement, which returned to power in 2021, has weakened the position of women in Afghanistan so much that the UN is already talking about gender apartheid. The ECJ interpreted the Taliban’s discrimination against women as persecution, which entitles to the recognition of refugee status.
Until now, Finland, Sweden and Denmark have interpreted gender as a sufficient reason to grant asylum to Afghan women.