The Impact of ‘Safe Country’ Concepts on Women Seeking Asylum in the UK

As governments in the UK and across Europe increasingly seek to apply ‘safe country’ concepts as a way of managing borders, Women in Refugee Law (WiRL) Network and Asylos have worked in close collaboration to explore the impact of ‘safe country’ legislation on women seeking international protection, and the role of country of origin information in fair and evidence-based asylum procedures. In September 2025, we were honoured to co-host refugee women, scholars, practitioners and those supporting women seeking protection for a fantastic afternoon of conversation exploring these themes. Drawing together insights from the roundtable, we are publishing a paper that outlines the use of safe country concepts in the UK, highlights concerns about the impact on women seeking protection from gender-based harms, examines the role of country of origin information, and makes a range of important recommendations. In particular, the paper highlights the importance of recognising and valuing knowledge produced by women with lived experience.

Do you have any comments or feedback on our research report?
We would love to hear it! Email us at info@asylos.org