This short (20 page) report overview looks at the reality for refugee women and girls living in Germany and Sweden. Both countries have welcomed unprecedented numbers of refugees however the magnitude and speed of the migration has led to short-term solutions which do not always address, and in some cases perpetuate, the risks of violence against women and girls. Key issues covered:
- The needs of women and girls often go unaddressed in accommodation centers, where asylum seekers must live while their claims are processed.
- There are no standard processes to identify and support Gender-Based Violence (GBV) survivors.
- Current policies and asylum procedures also exacerbate the risks to women and girls, where women and girls must navigate increasingly complicated legal and bureaucratic processes without sufficient support.
- Finally, restrictions to family reunification, results if women and children being left in conflict zones, or encourages dangerous journeys across the Aegean sea and through Europe.
The report provides a set of useful recommendations to address these issues for Germany and Sweden specifically, and for European Union member states and other European countries more generally.