Trafficking för sexuella ändamål som grund för asyl : En feministisk analys av det asylrättsliga skyddet för kvinnor som utsatts för eller riskerar utsättas för trafficking

Sammanfattning: Trafficking in persons for sexual purposes is a modern form of slavery which causes serious violation of fundamental human rights. Despite that, trafficking victims are often left without international protection. Furthermore, the majority of the victims of trafficking for sexual purposes are women. In this thesis the author examines the international refugee law from a feminist perspective to determine why some actions are capable of international attention and protection while others are not. The international regulation for combating trafficking, so called anti-trafficking measures, are rather comprehensive. However, these measures focus on eliminating trafficking through prevention and prosecution and do not give much, if any, protection to the victims of trafficking. Instead protection can be found in the refugee convention and the complementary protection under non-refoulement. The refugee law has been criticised for its gender bias and male norm which affect women’s possibility to be granted international protection. As a result of this, persecution or other serious harm that mostly affects women, such as trafficking for sexual purposes, are seen as gender-specific and not as a part of the core definition of a refugee. Trafficking victims from the EU who seek protection in another country in the union faces the most obstacles, since citizens from the EU are not recognised to be in need of international protection because of the presumption that countries in the EU are democratic and safe. This presumption is questionable since the majority of the trafficking victims in the Union are from a country in the EU. The feminist analysis on the refugee law aim to examine to what extent women’s need for international protection in relation to trafficking is fulfilled.