Policies of Deterrence and the Mental Health of Asylum Seekers
Policies of Deterrence and the Mental Health of Asylum Seekers Derrick Silove, MD, FRANZCP; Zachary Steel, MPsychol; Charles Watters, PhD In the past, most refugees who permanently resettled in the traditional recipient countries of North America, Europe, and Australasia were screened prior to arrival in a host country. In the last decade, increasing numbers of unauthorized refugees or asylum seekers, those who formally lodge application for refugee status in the country in which they are residing, have applied for protection after crossing the borders of these countries. Concerns about uncontrolled migration have encouraged host countries to adopt policies of deterrence in which increasingly restrictive measures are being imposed on persons seeking asylum. These measures include, variously, confinement in detention centers, enforced dispersal within the community, the implementation of more stringent refugee determination procedures, and temporary forms of asylum. In several countries, asylum seekers living in the community face restricted access to work, education, housing, welfare, and, in some situations, to basic health care services. Allegations of abuse, untreated medical and psychiatric illnesses, suicidal behav
The medical profession has a role in educating governments and the public about the potential risks of imposing excessively harsh policies of deterrence on the mental health of asylum seekers. RiotsThe escape followed riots involving about 150 detainees at the facility last week. One man tried to sew his lips together and two others cut themselves with glass during the riots, officials said. We join them in urging you to grant UN monitors greater access to evaluate living conditions at this and other centers. Although systematic research into the mental health of asylum seekers is in its infancy, and methods are limited by sampling difficulties, there is growing evidence that salient postmigration stress facing asylum seekers adds to the effect of previous trauma in creating risk of ongoing posttraumatic stress disorder and other psychiatric symptoms. Ruddock has acknowledged the difficulty in gaining approvals for the building of detention centers in urban areas, the recent problems should highlight the need for a more humane reception of asylum seekers. We urge you to maintain this tradition and honor both the letter and the spirit of the UN Refugee Convention. Critics of the camps protest the outsourcing of their management to the U. But camp officials and the Government deny mistreatment and point to well-stocked facilities with nutritional menus as well as education and recreation programs. Thousands of would-be immigrants are caught each year trying to enter Australia illegally, often after perilous voyages from Asia in decrepit boats owned by people-smuggling gangs. Throughout history, many persecuted individuals have had to rely on irregular documents and methods of escape in order to seek refuge in other countries. Since the opening of the Woomera detention center in November of last year, tensions have been simmering, although Immigration Minister Ruddock has denied that conditions are inhumane. The detention policy ignores the physical and psychological trauma that many asylum seekers have experienced before arriving in Australia. However, adequate facilities must exist for all persons placed in immigration detention.
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