ECRE Report: Study visit to Luxembourg on good practices in upholding the rights of asylum-seeking and refugee women and girls

In autumn 2025, ECRE and its partners from across Europe conducted a study visit to Luxembourg in order to examine national practices in safeguarding the rights of self-identified asylum-seeking and refugee women and girls. Organised under the ‘Empowerment and Protection of Migrant Women’ (AMAL) project between 30 September and 2 October, the visit explored the extent to which Luxembourg’s asylum system, legal framework, reception conditions and support services address gender-specific needs.

ECRE has published a report on the study visit which highlighted a number of notable strengths in Luxembourg’s approach. These include a structured and highly segmented asylum procedure, and guaranteed access to free legal assistance from the outset which allows women to lodge independent claims and request gender-sensitive arrangements. The report also noted growing attention to gender-based violence (GBV) within the system, supported by staff training on vulnerability, trauma and mental health, and evolving case law that recognises gender-related risks.

The report identified a strong and diverse civil society landscape as a cornerstone of the system. Organisations such as Passerell, the Association for the Support of Immigrant workers (ASTI), the Luxembourg Red Cross, Planning Familial Luxembourg and InfoTraite all play a crucial role in delivering legal, social, health and anti-trafficking support. Similarly, the report noted that close co-operation between public authorities, NGOs and specialised service providers – facilitated in part by Luxembourg’s small size – is a key enabling factor for coordinated and survivor-centred responses. It also highlighted a number of promising initiatives, including the National Centre for Victims of Violence (CNVV) and targeted outreach on sexual and reproductive health and rights.

In addition to the numerous positive findings, the report also identified several ongoing challenges. It found that structural issues, particularly the severe housing shortage, are continuing to have a negative impact on reception conditions and long-term integration. In addition, barriers to early disclosure of GBV, gaps in interpretation services and limited access to specialised psychological care are further limiting effective protection, while inconsistencies in the application of gender- and child-sensitive approaches remain across different stages of the system.

The report also raised concerns about the implications of upcoming reforms linked to the EU Pact on Migration and Asylum. These included questions about access to legal assistance during early procedural stages, the adequacy of vulnerability assessments and the scope of monitoring mechanisms. The report also identified challenges in the anti-trafficking framework, particularly regarding the limited recognition of survivors whose exploitation occurred outside Luxembourg, as well as the separation between asylum and trafficking procedures.

Overall, the report provides a nuanced picture of Luxembourg’s approach, combining examples of well-developed practices with persistent structural and procedural gaps. It underscores that, despite the existence of a strong foundation of committed actors and innovative initiatives, sustained attention to coordination, resources and policy implementation will be essential to ensure that gender-sensitive protections can be effectively upheld in practice.

The report is available to download here.