Top EU court rules gender, nationality enough for Afghan women to be granted asylum

The European Court of Justice (ECJ) had ruled Friday that gender and nationality alone were sufficient for a country to grant asylum to women from Afghanistan, where the ruling Taliban have sharply curtailed women's rights.

Authorities in Austria refused refugee status to two Afghan women after they applied for asylum in 2015 and 2020. They challenged the refusal before the Austrian Supreme Administrative Court, which in turn requested a ruling from the ECJ, the top European Union court.

"It is unnecessary to establish that there is a risk that the applicant will actually and specifically be subject to acts of persecution if she returns to her country of origin," the ECJ said in its ruling.

"It is sufficient to take into account her nationality and gender alone." \

The Austrian Interior Ministry did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for...