X, Y and Z (European Union): Who is Protected as Queer Refugee by the Court of Justice of the European Union?

The decision of the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) in the joined cases of X, Y and Z v. Minister voor Immigratie en Asiel, in 2013, marked a turning point in EU asylum law concerning sexual minorities. It clarified the (minimum) standard of protection which sexual minorities are entitled to under the Common European Asylum System (CEAS). The chapter, firstly, identifies the good, the bad and the ugly aspects of the CJEU’s decision when analysed through the prism of international refugee and human rights law protecting the rights of queer people and, secondly, provides a rewriting of the judgment to advances human rights-based solutions.