Queer(y)ing Asylum

The Queer(y)ing Asylum Podcast S3E3: Queering UK Refugee Law with Alex Powell

In this episode of the Queer(y)ing Asylum Podcast, Diego speaks with Dr Alex Powell [https://warwick.ac.uk/fac/soc/law/people/alex-powell/] (Associate Professor in Law at Warwick Law School) about his book Queering UK Refugee Law: Sexual Diversity and Asylum Administration [https://bristoluniversitypress.co.uk/queering-uk-refugee-law] and what it reveals about how the UK asylum system recognises, and routinely misrecognises, queer lives. Together, they explore how contemporary culture-war politics and anti-migrant narratives shape asylum decision-making, influencing who is seen as believable, “grievable”, and deserving of protection. Drawing on Alex's socio-legal research with people seeking asylum, legal practitioners, and third-sector organisations, the conversation examines the everyday realities of credibility assessments: the pressure to fit narrow expectations of sexuality and gender, racialised assumptions about queer identities, and the practical challenges of producing the kinds of evidence decision-makers often expect. The episode also reflects on practice and change, discussing how lawyers, advocates, and community organisations work within a hostile environment while trying to protect people, and what more just and humane approaches to asylum could look like in policy, legal culture, and public discourse. Dr Alex Powell’s work sits at the intersections of law, gender, sexuality, and migration, using critical and socio-legal methodologies to challenge dominant understandings of refugee law and asylum administration.

The Queer(y)ing Asylum Podcast S3E2: Asylum isn’t “obvious”: queer migration, mental health, and structural violence with Satrio Nindyo Istiko / Tiko

In this episode of Queer(y)ing Asylum, Diego is joined by Satrio Nindyo Istiko — Tiko (he/she) — an independent public health social scientist and writer working at the intersections of migration and health. Together, they unpack a core idea that often gets missed in public debates: asylum is not a universal or self-evident route to safety. For many LGBTIQ+ people on the move, “asylum” is something they only learn about after migration, often through peers, informal networks, NGOs, or online spaces, and that timing shapes mental health, risk, and decision-making. The conversation explores: * Why the decision to seek asylum is frequently non-linear, delayed, or never taken, even when persecution is present. * How structural violence, and not just individual trauma, shapes everyday wellbeing and the “choices” people appear to make. * The role of services and support systems, including how they can unintentionally reinforce narrow ideas of the “ideal” asylum seeker through gatekeeping and narrative expectations. * What decolonial approaches look like in practice, and how creative/visual methods can shift what counts as knowledge. * What happens after status, including the tensions of being positioned as a representative or “peer voice”, and what meaningful power-sharing could look like beyond box-ticking representation. About Tiko Satrio Nindyo Istiko or Tiko (He/She) is an independent public health social scientist and a writer, working in the intersections of migration and health. Tiko is interested in the politics of migration-health research, sexual health and wellbeing of LGBTIQ+ people on the move, decolonial and participatory methodologies, and storytelling as a tool for public health intervention, teaching, and advocacy. Visit Tiko’s website: https://writtenbytiko.com [https://writtenbytiko.com] Read more (articles mentioned in the episode): * Satrio Nindyo Istiko, Understanding key priority areas of mental health among queer asylum seekers and refugees in Australia through the lens of structural violence: A modified Delphi method study (Journal of Refugee Studies) https://academic.oup.com/jrs/article/37/3/750/7735332 [https://academic.oup.com/jrs/article/37/3/750/7735332] * Satrio Nindyo Istiko, Elite Actors: Understanding Representation of Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Communities in the Australian Health System Through an Intersectional Lens (Stolen Tools) https://stolentools.com/index.php/Journal/article/view/24 [https://stolentools.com/index.php/Journal/article/view/24] * Satrio Nindyo Istiko, Statutory of Declaration (Other Terrain Literary Journal) https://www.otherterrainjournal.com.au/genres/non-fiction/statutory-of-declaration/ [https://www.otherterrainjournal.com.au/genres/non-fiction/statutory-of-declaration/] * Florent Chossière, ‘I knew about political asylum, but not about asylum for gay people’: How queer exiles come to apply (or not) for SOGI asylum in France (Journal of Refugee Studies) https://academic.oup.com/jrs/advance-article-abstract/doi/10.1093/jrs/feaf003/8020945 [https://academic.oup.com/jrs/advance-article-abstract/doi/10.1093/jrs/feaf003/8020945]

The Queer(y)ing Asylum Podcast S3E1: Esteban Octavio Scuzarello and LGBTIQ+ Asylum in Latin America

In this episode of Queer(y)ing Asylum, Diego speaks with Esteban Octavio Scuzarello about the performance of asylum and the politics of refugee status determination in Latin America, with a focus on Brazil and Mexico. Drawing on his fieldwork, Esteban explores how asylum claims are shaped by narratives, expectations and power relations between applicants, NGOs and state institutions. He reflects on what it means to “perform” refugee and LGBTIQ+ identities in these settings, and how identity categories often exceed or resist Western-centric labels such as “gay” or “lesbian”. The conversation also looks at the contradictions within some NGOs, the unevenness of support structures, and the way certain stories get amplified through social media and advocacy. At the same time, Esteban and Diego discuss everyday forms of resistance, community care and solidarity among people seeking asylum themselves pushing back against white saviour narratives and highlighting the emotional and practical labour that happens within communities. Towards the end, they situate these Latin American realities in a wider global context, including current debates in Europe and the UK about revoking refugee status when countries are deemed “safe” – a designation that rarely captures the ongoing risks faced by LGBTIQ+ people. About the guest Esteban Octavio Scuzarello holds a degree in International Studies from Torcuato Di Tella University and a master’s in Transnational Governance, specialising in migration, from the European University Institute (EUI). He is currently a doctoral candidate at the EUI, where his research examines how identity shapes refugee status determination processes in Latin America, with particular attention to Brazil and Mexico. You can find out more about Esteban’s work here: https://www.eui.eu/people?id=esteban-scuzarello [https://www.eui.eu/people?id=esteban-scuzarello]

The Queer(y)ing Asylum Podcast S2E6: Comisión Española de Ayuda al Refugiado (CEAR) —Defendiendo el Derecho de Asilo en España, con Martín Butta

🎙️ Este episodio es en español / This episode is in Spanish En este episodio, nos adentramos en el contexto español para hablar sobre el sistema de asilo y los desafíos específicos que enfrentan las personas LGBTIQ+ que buscan protección internacional. Diego conversa con Martín Butta, de la Comisión Española de Ayuda al Refugiado (CEAR), sobre cómo ha evolucionado el sistema de asilo en España, cuáles son sus fortalezas y limitaciones, y qué papel juegan las comunidades autónomas, la sociedad civil y los medios en el acompañamiento y la percepción de las personas solicitantes. En la segunda parte del episodio, el foco se sitúa en el trabajo de CEAR con personas LGBTIQ+ solicitantes de asilo: los retos legales, el acceso a espacios seguros, las guías sobre credibilidad, el empleo y la inclusión laboral. También compartimos algunas herramientas clave que CEAR ha desarrollado para combatir la discriminación y construir entornos más seguros y justos. Si quieres profundizar más en los temas tratados, te recomendamos consultar los siguientes informes y guías elaborados por CEAR: 📘 Refugiados LGTB: Huir por Ser, Sentir, Amar https://www.cear.es/sections-post/refugiados-lgtb/ [https://www.cear.es/sections-post/refugiados-lgtb/] 📗 La Protección Internacional para Personas LGTBI https://www.cear.es/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Guia_La-proteccion-internacional-para-personas-LGTBI.pdf [https://www.cear.es/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Guia_La-proteccion-internacional-para-personas-LGTBI.pdf] 📙 Lucha contra la discriminación en el ámbito laboral por razones de orientación sexual e identidad de género https://www.cear.es/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/informe-discriminacion-empleo-LGBTIQ.pdf [https://www.cear.es/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/informe-discriminacion-empleo-LGBTIQ.pdf] Un episodio imprescindible para entender cómo se vive y se defiende el derecho al asilo en España desde una perspectiva queer y de derechos humanos.

The Queer(y)ing Asylum Podcast S2E5: MicroRainbow—Providing Safe Housing, Employability, and Care Services for LGBTQI Asylum Seekers, in Conversation with Sebastian Rocca

In this episode of Queer(y)ing Asylum, Diego sits down with Sebastian Rocca, Founder and CEO of MicroRainbow, to explore the transformative work this organisation is doing with LGBTQI refugees and people seeking asylum.   Sebastian shares how MicroRainbow is committed to creating a world where LGBTQI people are safe from discrimination and persecution while ensuring they have equal opportunities in life.   He discusses how the organisation provides safe housing to LGBTQI asylum seekers and refugees, so that they are not placed in environments where they face homophobic or transphobic violence. The conversation also delves intoMicroRainbow’s holistic approach, including its employability programme, which connects LGBTQI refugees with training, education, and job opportunities to ensure long-term independence. Diego and Sebastian reflect on the broader systemic barriers LGBTQI asylum seekers face and the importance of community-led, sustainable models for social change.   Join us for this powerful discussion on how activism, practical support, and policy advocacy intersect to create safer futures for LGBTQI asylum seekers and refugees. 🔗 Please visit MicroRainbow’s website: https://microrainbow.org/vision-mission/ [https://microrainbow.org/vision-mission/] 📖 Read about MicroRainbow’s impact in2024: https://microrainbow.org/our-impact-in-2024/ [https://microrainbow.org/our-impact-in-2024/] 📖 Also read Sebastian’s blog “⁠How to Build a Social Enterprise [https://www.buildasocialenterprise.com/]⁠” for more insights into his journey in creating Micro Rainbow 🎧 Listen now on Spotify and be sure to subscribe and share if you find the conversation insightful!