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Att göra sin sexualitet sannolik - En studie om trovärdighetsbedömningen av förföljelsegrunden sexuell läggning i den svenska asylrätten utifrån ett rättssäkerhetsperspektiv

Boman, Rebecka LU (2020) LAGF03 20201
Department of Law
Faculty of Law
Abstract
In refugee claims, where the applicant is seeking asylum on account of a well-founded fear of being persecuted because of his or her sexuality, the applicant’s own testimony is usually the primary evidence. Therefore, the authorities and the courts have to evaluate whether the applicant has made his or her sexual orientation plausible, and consequently is able to enjoy protection as a refugee, by the use of a credibility assessment. The purpose of this essay has been to investigate the credibility assessment, when determining sexual orientation as a cause of persecution, in relation to the rule of law.

To be able to identify the legal framework of the credibility assessment a legal dogmatic method was used. The result showed that the... (More)
In refugee claims, where the applicant is seeking asylum on account of a well-founded fear of being persecuted because of his or her sexuality, the applicant’s own testimony is usually the primary evidence. Therefore, the authorities and the courts have to evaluate whether the applicant has made his or her sexual orientation plausible, and consequently is able to enjoy protection as a refugee, by the use of a credibility assessment. The purpose of this essay has been to investigate the credibility assessment, when determining sexual orientation as a cause of persecution, in relation to the rule of law.

To be able to identify the legal framework of the credibility assessment a legal dogmatic method was used. The result showed that the credibility assessment is relatively unregulated, but that certain guidelines and criteria for the assessment can be found. In order to shed light on what kind of criteria for the credibility assessment that are being used in practical legal application 16 judgements from Swedish migration courts were examined. Three main themes were found. Firstly, the court put its primary focus on the applicant's ability to express his or her thoughts and experiences related to the sexual orientation in a detailed and reflective way. Secondly, credibility was also effected by the fact that some applicants claimed sexual orientation as the cause for persecution for the first time in the later stages of the process. Thirdly, the court found in some cases certain parts of the testimony to be unlikely or unreasonable.

In addition to the legal dogmatic method critical and sociological research was examined to determine possible sources of error in the credibility assessment. The findings showed that people experience and express their sexuality in different ways, partly due to cultural differences. In addition to that factors such as shame, trauma and internalized homophobia effect the applicant’s willingness and ability to express his or her sexual identity. The investigation showed that the decision makers in some cases appeared aware of the possibility of these factors effecting the way in which the applicant talks about his or her sexual identity. However, it is unclear whether this awareness actually had any impact on the final decision in the judgements that were examined.

Lastly, the findings were analyzed from Peczenik’s definition of the rule of law. The analysis showed that the legal framework for the credibility assessment opens up for arbitrariness in evaluating what makes the applicant’s story credible and plausible. Furthermore, a lack of consideration of questionable criteria for assessing credibility risks leading to incorrect decisions. The conclusion is therefore that subjectivity and questionable grounds of assessment can lead to decisions that neither can be considered predictable nor ethically acceptable. In this way, the credibility assessment, when determining sexual orientation as a cause of persecution, can be criticized from both a formal and material rule of law standpoint. (Less)
Abstract (Swedish)
I asylmål med sexuell läggning som grund för förföljelse utgör den sökandes berättelse oftast den främsta och ibland enda bevisningen. Utifrån en bevisvärdering av den muntliga utsagan avgörs således om den sexuella läggningen har gjorts sannolik och om sökanden därmed kan åtnjuta skydd som flykting. Fokus för prövningen blir alltså en trovärdighetsbedömning av sökanden och dennes berättelse. Mot denna bakgrund har uppsatsens syfte varit att granska den trovärdighetsbedömning som görs vid fastställandet av sexuell läggning som förföljelsegrund utifrån ett rättssäkerhetsperspektiv.

I uppsatsen har en rättsdogmatisk metod använts för att först och främst utreda de rättsliga ramarna för trovärdighetsbedömningen. Resultatet visade att... (More)
I asylmål med sexuell läggning som grund för förföljelse utgör den sökandes berättelse oftast den främsta och ibland enda bevisningen. Utifrån en bevisvärdering av den muntliga utsagan avgörs således om den sexuella läggningen har gjorts sannolik och om sökanden därmed kan åtnjuta skydd som flykting. Fokus för prövningen blir alltså en trovärdighetsbedömning av sökanden och dennes berättelse. Mot denna bakgrund har uppsatsens syfte varit att granska den trovärdighetsbedömning som görs vid fastställandet av sexuell läggning som förföljelsegrund utifrån ett rättssäkerhetsperspektiv.

I uppsatsen har en rättsdogmatisk metod använts för att först och främst utreda de rättsliga ramarna för trovärdighetsbedömningen. Resultatet visade att trovärdighetsbedömningen är relativt oreglerad, men att vissa riktlinjer och kriterier för bedömningen finns i rättskällor på området. För att belysa de teman som beslutsfattaren i praktiken tenderar att fästa vikt vid i trovärdighetsbedömningen vid åberopande av sexuell läggning granskades 16 avgöranden från Migrationsdomstolen. Ur utredningen kunde tre bedömningskriterier varpå vilka domstolen bedömer trovärdighet utläsas. Sökandens förmåga att på ett detaljerat, reflekterande och självupplevt sätt redogöra för tankar och erfarenheter relaterade till sin sexuella läggning tillmättes störst vikt i trovärdighetsbedömningen. Trovärdigheten påverkades också av att sökanden åberopat sexuell läggning som förföljelsegrund sent i processen. Därtill fick även uppgifter i utsagan som beslutsfattaren ansåg vara orimliga eller osannolika inverkan på trovärdigheten i vissa fall.

För att fördjupa undersökningen användes utöver den rättsdogmatiska metoden även en rättsanalytisk metod där kritisk och sociologisk forskning granskades för att fastställa eventuella felkällor i rättstillämpningen. Ur detta material framgick att sexualitet tar sig uttryck på olika sätt för olika människor, delvis på grund av kulturella skillnader, och att faktorer såsom skam, trauma och internaliserad homofobi kan påverka sökandens förmåga att berätta om den sexuella läggningen. Utredningen visade att domstolen i den praktiska tillämpningen i viss mån är medveten om de felkällor som finns i att tillmäta vissa bedömningskriterier stor vikt vid bevisvärderingen, men huruvida detta beaktande får genomslag i den slutliga bedömningen är oklart.

Resultatet av utredningen analyserades därefter utifrån ett rättssäkerhetsperspektiv som tog avstamp i Peczeniks definition av begreppet. Analysen visade att trovärdighetsbedömningens rättsliga ramverk ger utrymme för godtycke vid värdering av vad som gör sökandens berättelse trovärdig och sannolik. Brist på beaktande av felkällor vid tillämpande av specifika bedömningskriterier riskerar att leda till felaktiga beslut i de enskilda fallen. Slutsatsen är således att subjektivitet och tvivelaktiga bedömningsgrunder kan leda till beslut som varken kan anses vara förutsebara eller etiskt godtagbara. På detta sätt kan trovärdighetsbedömningen vid åberopande av asylgrunden sexuell läggning kritiseras utifrån både formell och materiell rättssäkerhet. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
Boman, Rebecka LU
supervisor
organization
course
LAGF03 20201
year
type
M2 - Bachelor Degree
subject
keywords
förvaltningsrätt (en. administrative law), migrationsrätt (en. migration law)
language
Swedish
id
9010783
date added to LUP
2020-09-21 14:00:22
date last changed
2020-09-21 14:00:22
@misc{9010783,
  abstract     = {{In refugee claims, where the applicant is seeking asylum on account of a well-founded fear of being persecuted because of his or her sexuality, the applicant’s own testimony is usually the primary evidence. Therefore, the authorities and the courts have to evaluate whether the applicant has made his or her sexual orientation plausible, and consequently is able to enjoy protection as a refugee, by the use of a credibility assessment. The purpose of this essay has been to investigate the credibility assessment, when determining sexual orientation as a cause of persecution, in relation to the rule of law.

To be able to identify the legal framework of the credibility assessment a legal dogmatic method was used. The result showed that the credibility assessment is relatively unregulated, but that certain guidelines and criteria for the assessment can be found. In order to shed light on what kind of criteria for the credibility assessment that are being used in practical legal application 16 judgements from Swedish migration courts were examined. Three main themes were found. Firstly, the court put its primary focus on the applicant's ability to express his or her thoughts and experiences related to the sexual orientation in a detailed and reflective way. Secondly, credibility was also effected by the fact that some applicants claimed sexual orientation as the cause for persecution for the first time in the later stages of the process. Thirdly, the court found in some cases certain parts of the testimony to be unlikely or unreasonable. 

In addition to the legal dogmatic method critical and sociological research was examined to determine possible sources of error in the credibility assessment. The findings showed that people experience and express their sexuality in different ways, partly due to cultural differences. In addition to that factors such as shame, trauma and internalized homophobia effect the applicant’s willingness and ability to express his or her sexual identity. The investigation showed that the decision makers in some cases appeared aware of the possibility of these factors effecting the way in which the applicant talks about his or her sexual identity. However, it is unclear whether this awareness actually had any impact on the final decision in the judgements that were examined. 

Lastly, the findings were analyzed from Peczenik’s definition of the rule of law. The analysis showed that the legal framework for the credibility assessment opens up for arbitrariness in evaluating what makes the applicant’s story credible and plausible. Furthermore, a lack of consideration of questionable criteria for assessing credibility risks leading to incorrect decisions. The conclusion is therefore that subjectivity and questionable grounds of assessment can lead to decisions that neither can be considered predictable nor ethically acceptable. In this way, the credibility assessment, when determining sexual orientation as a cause of persecution, can be criticized from both a formal and material rule of law standpoint.}},
  author       = {{Boman, Rebecka}},
  language     = {{swe}},
  note         = {{Student Paper}},
  title        = {{Att göra sin sexualitet sannolik - En studie om trovärdighetsbedömningen av förföljelsegrunden sexuell läggning i den svenska asylrätten utifrån ett rättssäkerhetsperspektiv}},
  year         = {{2020}},
}