Convention d'Istanbul et femmes migrantes : un nouveau souffle pour le droit et la pratique suisses (Véronique Boillet & Anne-Laurence Graf-Brugère)

The Istanbul Convention, which entered into force for Switzerland on April 1, 2018, is the first international legal instrument specifically dedicated to combating violence against women and domestic violence. An unusual aspect of international human rights protection treaties is that the Istanbul Convention has a special chapter on migration which takes into acount the specific vulnerability of migrant women. While this chapter is obviously welcome, its impact in Switzerland is likely to remain limited. However, it is important to point out that this part of the Istanbul Convention devoted to violence in the context of migration should not overshadow the general provisions of the Convention, which should also benefit migrant women. The aim of this contribution is to examine the impact of these general obligations on Swiss law and practice in the field of migration and aslyum law.