Online Lecture

"Problematizing the adjudication of disabled asylum claims within the EU and CRPD Framework"

with Mariza Avgeri (CeMig-Member)

27.11.2025, 4:15-5:45 pm (MEZ), English; online via Zoom

Abstract: "This presentation introduces a comparative research project at its early stages, examining how disability is constructed, recognised, and adjudicated in asylum claims in Germany, Greece, and the United Kingdom. Building on the theoretical and legal issues raised by the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) and the Common European Asylum System (CEAS), the project problematizes the position of disabled asylum seekers at the intersection of international refugee law, EU law, and domestic asylum procedures. It interrogates whether disabled applicants may be recognised as members of a “particular social group,” how disability-related discrimination can amount to persecution, and the extent to which the absence of reasonable accommodation or accessibility engages the threshold of severe human rights violations. By situating disability within broader structures of stigma, care, and vulnerability, it seeks to explore how legal systems mediate the subjective and objective elements of “well-founded fear” and how cumulative discrimination can amount to persecution. Through comparative analysis of asylum practices in Germany, Greece, and the UK, the project aims to highlight both the common challenges and divergent approaches in recognising disabled persons as rights-holders in refugee status determination."



Here you can register for the online lecture "Problematizing the adjudication of disabled asylum claims within the EU and CRPD framework" by Mariza Avgeri