Queer Migrations, Asylum Adjudication, and Credibility Assessments in Host Jurisdictions

African Journal of Gender and Women Studies | Vol. 11, No. 10, October 2026 | pp. 57–70

DOI: 10.46882/2026/AJGWS/001319

Article Type: Research Article

Title: Queer Migrations, Asylum Adjudication, and Credibility Assessments in Host Jurisdictions

Names of Author: Thandeka Mahlangu¹ & Thomas Lefebvre²

Author's Affiliation: ¹African Centre for Migration and Society, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa; ²Department of Law and Political Science, University of Bordeaux, Bordeaux, France.

Abstract:
Lesbian, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LBTQ) asylum seekers fleeing criminalization and family violence frequently encounter skeptical and invasive credibility assessments when seeking refugee protection. Immigration adjudicators often rely on rigid, Westernized stereotypes of queer identity, expecting applicants to demonstrate linear coming-out narratives or visible participation in commercial queer nightlife. Consequently, African queer women whose survival depended on discretion or who experienced intersectional trauma risk arbitrary asylum denials and deportation. This paper examines how LBTQ women navigate refugee status determination processes in South Africa and France. Utilizing queer migration studies and intersectional legal analysis, the study reviews asylum tribunal transcripts alongside life-history interviews with 28 queer women refugees and legal advocates. We demonstrate how grassroots queer migrant networks provide crucial legal literacy and emotional solidarity, enabling applicants to contest reductive bureaucratic expectations of queer authenticity.

Keywords: Queer migration, asylum adjudication, LBTQ refugees, credibility assessments, intersectionality, refugee law, South Africa, France

Manuscript Timeline: Received: August 12, 2026; Revised: September 14, 2026; Accepted: September 18, 2026; Published: October 15, 2026.

Citation: Mahlangu, T., & Lefebvre, T. (2026). Queer Migrations, Asylum Adjudication, and Credibility Assessments in Host Jurisdictions. African Journal of Gender and Women Studies, 11(10), 57–70. DOI: 10.46882/2026/AJGWS/001319

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