Transnational subjectification and stereotyping of LGBTQ+ asylum seekers in Dutch immigration proceedings

This study digs deep into the relationship between stereotyping in asylum procedures of LGBTQ+ (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer+) applicants, institutional powers such as government-run immigration services, and the transnational subjectivities of those applicants. Semi-structured, conversational interviews were held with four current LGBTQ+ refugees, and two former LGBTQ+ refugees who are now community leaders in related projects, Additionally, ethnographic data was gathered during LGBTQ+ refugee community events around the Netherlands. This study argues that individual subjectivities are shaped by the imposition of stereotypes by power institutions (i.e. immigration regimes) and that those institutions then reflect the subjectivities –real or perceived– of the population in their treatment and processing of said population. The research demonstrates how interactions with the IND (Immigration and Naturalization Service) centering on experiences of marginalization and discrimination have an impact on participant subjectivities through the imposition of western, eurocentric stereotypes on asylum seekers that are usually unfamiliar with them.