Asylum seekers

With the increase of refugee movements since 2014 in Europe and the Near East, the debate of how to plan appropriate shelters and emergency accommodation has gained a new momentum. Established techno-managerial approaches have been criticised as inappropriate and the professional community of planners and architects was increasingly drawn into debates for alternative solutions. This article traces the “innovations” that promise better, more effective, and more humane emergency shelters using the examples of the “Tempohomes” in Berlin as well as the Jordanian refugee camps of Zaatari and Azraq. In both cases, planners were employed to address the ambivalent reality of protracted refugee camps and include “lessons” from failures of earlier solutions. While the article acknowledges the genuine attempt of planners to engage with the more complex needs and expectations of refugees, a careful look at the results of the planning for better camps reveals ambivalent outcomes. As camps acquir...

This insightful book analyzes the evolution of the operational tasks and cooperation of the European Border and Coast Guard Agency (FRONTEX), the European Asylum Support Office (EASO) and the European Union Agency for Law Enforcement Cooperation (EUROPOL). Exploring the recent expansion of the legal mandates of these decentralized EU agencies and the activities they undertake in practice, David Fernández-Rojo offers a critical assessment of the EU migration agencies.

The book identifies two key trends in the administration of the European Area of Freedom, Security and Justice. Fernández-Rojo discusses how on one hand the new legal frameworks of FRONTEX, EASO and EUROPOL stress that their operational roles are limited to providing national authorities with technical assistance, while on the other hand these agencies are increasingly involved in guaranteeing the enforcement of EU migration, asylum and border management measures. The book expertly illustrates how FRONTEX, EASO and EUROPOL establish an effective and uniform national implementation of laws and policies, with a focus on their multilateral cooperation in the hotspots established in the aftermath of the refugee crisis.

Examining the de jure and de facto operational powers and cooperation of EU migration agencies, this book will be critical reading for academics and students of law, international relations and political science. Its assessment of the effectiveness of policy implementation will also be beneficial for legal practitioners, policy makers and NGOs.

Europe is currently experiencing a "refugee crisis", demonstrated by millions of displaced people unseen since World War II. This book examines the interface between the EU's response to irregular flows, in particular the main extraterritorial border and migration controls taken by the Member States, and the rights asylum seekers acquire from EU law.

"Remote control" techniques, such as the imposition of visas, fines on carriers transporting unsatisfactorily documented third-country nationals, and interception at sea are investigated in detail in a bid to assess the impact these measures have on access to asylum in the EU. The book also thoroughly analyses the rights recognised by the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights to persons in need of international protection, inclusive of the principle of non-refoulement, the right to leave any country including one's own, the right to asylum, and the right to remedies and effective judicial protection.

The fundamental focus of the book is the relationship between the aforementioned border and migration controls and the rights of asylum seekers and, most importantly, how these rights (should) limit the scope of such measures and the ways in which they are implemented. The ultimate goal is to conclude whether the current series of extraterritorial mechanisms of pre-entry vetting is compatible in EU law with the EU rights of forced migrants.

Au tournant des années 2000, alors que l’Italie s’interroge sur l’intégration des immigré·es, les programmes de bénévolat à destination de ces populations font florès dans toute la péninsule du fait d’un consensus entre les municipalités, les associations impliquées dans le système d’asile et les entreprises sociales qui assurent l’hébergement. Aujourd’hui, ce sont les personnes en procédure d’asile qui sont visées, leur disponibilité au travail gratuit constituant une preuve irréfutable de leur mérite civique et de leur volonté d’intégration. Pourtant, un tel engagement « volontaire » imposé à une catégorie particulièrement précaire de la population pose question.

Voluntary returns of asylum seekers from Europe have increased in past years. Iraqi refugees appear to be one of the largest groups, which have sought asylum, and appear to be one of the largest groups of people, which return voluntarily to their country of origin, either on the basis of rejection or by withdrawing their asylum case. Issues related to voluntary returns are often associated with how and under what circumstances returning asylum seekers manage to re-establish themselves upon return to their country of origin. Growing numbers of Internally Displaced People (IDPs) is a pressing issue in Iraq. Limited resources to host IDPs give incentive to examine how and under what circumstances voluntary returnees with Kurdish-Iraqi origins (who in this research will be referred to as Iraqi asylum seekers) manage to re-establish themselves sustainably in their country of origin. Personal threats, as well as a lack of job opportunities and housing are commonly expressed concerns which Iraqi asylum seekers experience. The purpose of this research is to draw attention to how voluntary returnees of Iraqi asylum seekers from the Nordic countries manage to re-establish themselves upon return to the Kurdistan Region of Iraq; herein Erbil and Sulaymaniyah. Moreover, the research seeks to uncover what the conditions are for successful return by examining existing voluntary return programmes under the International Organization for Migration’s Assisted Voluntary Return Programmes.

Keywords: Voluntary return, voluntariness, assisted voluntary return and reintegration, re-establishment, reintegration, rejected asylum seeker, withdrawing asylum seeker, asylum seeker, migration, migratory journey

Mon texte intitulé "Dans le gueule du loup" publié par Courtes Lignes dans le cadre de l'action "Vos plumes contre la Barbarie"
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Et si les mots pouvaient aider à supporter et penser l'impensable ?
Courteslignes aimerait modestement, à sa mesure, y contribuer en publiant rapidement des textes qui, à leur manière, rendent hommage aux victimes et tentent de soulager notre peine collective en évoquant autrement la tragique actualité.
http://www.courteslignes.com/dans-la-gueule-du-loup/#more-1828

ist Lehrbeauftragter am Seminar für Wissenschaftliche Politik der Universität Freiburg i.Br. und arbeitet zudem an der Scuola Normale Superiore in Florenz an einer Doktorarbeit zur Transnationalisierung der politischen Selbstorganisation von Geflüchteten in Europa. Er ist Mitkoordinator des Arbeitskreises Soziale Bewegungen und politischer Protest im Netzwerk Flüchtlingsforschung.

The determination of asylum cases in Denmark, as elsewhere, ostensibly rests on the authoritative rationalities of law, country of origin information and medical and linguistic examinations-the steady bureaucratic practices of the sovereign state. And yet, the production and management of doubt play key roles in caseworkers' resolution of asylum claims, as many decisions fundamentally hinge on a judgment of applicants' credibility. In this sense, doubt is at once a property and product of the asylum system, where uncertainty and mistrust also shape encounters between caseworkers and asylum seekers. To asylum seekers, the asylum process appears a haphazard and uncertain enterprise (Whyte 2009). For them, uncertainty infects every part of their experience of the asylum-seeking period-not least their meetings with the authorities sitting in judgment on them, whose mistrust they are keenly aware of and whom they themselves often in turn mistrust. Anxiety also arises from the sense that their everyday experiences as well as the anecdotes in circulation at the asylum centres jar with the system's self-presentation as rational and impersonal. Here, the asylum seekers' sense of the asylum process as fundamentally uncertain feeds back into the judicial resolution of their cases and can at times become selfdefeating.

This paper explores the constraints created by Turkish asylum policy as a form of population control that is contested and negotiated by the individuals that fall within the category of asylum-seeker. Using the theoretical frameworks of spatial governance and dynamic nominalism,  I argue that ‘asylum-seeker’ is a category constructed as a space governed through official policies.

Home Office decisions on asylum and immigration claims have been described as a “lottery”  and the Law Society argues there are “serious flaws in the way visa and asylum applications are being dealt with.”  The fundamental question is how do we improve access to justice for asylum seekers who are fleeing unimaginable persecution? Should their lives depend on a legal system suffering from “long delays, poor decisions, and a total lack of information?”

Technology can be used to solve two problems arising from Home Office and judges’ decisions. A database of key religious and cultural terms pertaining to the asylum seeker’s country of origin can be created so that the Home Office has a clear understanding of the background of immigration cases. Delays and lack of information occur because the Home Office uses poor secondary sources which conflicts with primary source data. Additionally, a program can be created to accurately determine the risk of harm in the asylum seeker’s country of origin. Whilst a judge would have final authority, algorithms pertaining to primary source data (e.g. percentage of internal displaced people, threat of terrorist attacks, availability of food and shelter etc.) can be utilised to guide the legal process. Often there is inconsistent understanding of the threat of persecution in a particular country meaning asylum seekers are not guaranteed procedural and substantive justice in the UK immigration process. Legaltech can change this and give asylum seekers a fair hearing or, a ‘fairtech’ hearing.

This book examines the factors affecting the health and wellbeing of young people as they transition to adulthood under the shadow of migration control. Drawing on unique longitudinal data, it illuminates how they conceptualize wellbeing for themselves and others in contexts of prolonged and politically induced uncertainty.

The authors offer an in-depth analysis of the experiences of over one hundred unaccompanied young migrants, primarily from Afghanistan, Albania and Eritrea. They show the lengths these young people will go to in pursuit of safety, security and the futures they aspire to.

Interdisciplinary in nature, the book champions a new political economy analysis of wellbeing in the context of migration and demonstrates the urgent need for policy reform.

“One of the most powerful and important books you will read. An essential text for anyone interested in migration and the human rights of young people.” Felicity Thomas, University of Exeter

“This book offers a profound analysis of the concept of wellbeing for migrant youths, especially how they are affected by politics-driven public policies. It makes their voices – about their hurdles, strengths, fears and hopes – loud and clear.” François Crépeau, McGill University

“A perceptive and nuanced study of the circumstances of unaccompanied child migrants in England and in Italy. The authors provide a powerful case for radical rethinking of current approaches to the protection of children.” Jacqueline Bhabha, Harvard Law School

This article addresses the concern that decision-making in sexual orientation or gender identity (SOGI) asylum claims in Europe is often unfair, and that one way to remedy this is by improving the guidance provided to decision-makers when interpreting the Refugee Convention in respect of these claims. We begin by interrogating a number of different decision-making guidelines and models to assess whether they contribute to a fairer asylum system. We show that, for claims based on SOGI, success invariably depends on the decision-maker's assessment as to whether a claimant is, or would be perceived in their home country to be, a member of a SOGI minority, and so belongs to a Particular Social Group. Such focus risks neglecting analysis of the actual risk of persecution. We set out our own recommendation for a fairer approach based on prioritising SOGI-specific Country of Origin Information (COI) and the risk of persecution, rather than focusing on whether applicants are 'genuinely' members of a SOGI minority. We argue that this will lead to fairer outcomes that are less likely to be overturned on appeal and more consistent with the Refugee Convention's spirit and letter.

Resumen: En este trabajo se analiza la existencia de un derecho a solicitar asilo tanto en el territorio del Estado como en frontera. Para ello se toman en consideración la normativa internacional sobre la materia, y la normativa de la Unión Europea, concretamente la Carta de Derechos Fundamentales de la Unión Europea y la Directiva de Procedimiento. El objetivo es determinar si Hungría mediante el rechazo en frontera de los refugiados, así como mediante la imposición de sanciones penales por el cruce ilegal, según la normativa húngara, de frontera, vendría a estar violando dicho de derecho a solicitar asilo. La confirmación de dicha violación, junto con la posible confirmación de las violaciones relativas a los procedimientos de asilo señaladas por la Comisión Europea en la carta de emplazamiento enviada a Hungría en 2015, planteamos podría permitir considerar a Hungría como país " no seguro " siendo de aplicación el artículo 3.2 del Reglamento de Dublín. Summary: This paper analyzes the existence of a right to seek asylum both, in the territory of the State and in the border of the State. For this purpose the international regulations on the matter, and the regulations of the European Union (namely the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union and the Directive of Procedure) are taken into consideration. The aim is to determine whether Hungary through the border rejection of refugees, as well as by imposing criminal penalties for the illegal crossing, according to the Hungarian legislation, would violate the right to seek asylum. The confirmation of such a violation, along with the possible confirmation of violations concerning asylum procedures outlined by the European Commission in the letter of formal notice sent to Hungary in 2015, could allow considering Hungary as a " non-safe " country and applying article 3.2 of the Dublin Regulation.

The absence of the racial and cultural
Other in mainstream media is noted by
many scholars. In this article, a number
of newspaper articles about asylum
seekers in lip sewing episodes at
Woomera in 2002 are examined using
critical discourse analysis and drawing
on critical race and whiteness studies.
While many news articles depict asylum
seekers negatively, most of the selected
texts provide a positive depiction of
asylum seekers. A combination of
discourse analysis and literary exegesis
demonstrates how journalists draw on
existing discourses in the cultural
imaginary to shape their depictions of
cultural and racial Others. The
suggestion is made that different
narratives and rhetorical formations are
deployed not merely to depict the
asylum seeker as an abject Other to be
pitied or reviled, but also to construct
different versions of Jennifer Rutherford’s
“good (white) Australian” reader. These
constructions of the reader form a
subtext beneath the reporting of news
and reveal the extent to which the
representation of the Other involves
white projections, desires and imaginings
of the cultural Other. Rather than
providing information about and insight
into the cultural/racial Other, such texts
may be better understood as
interventions in an ongoing discourse
within the White “mainstream” about
Our national identity.

This article presents a survey of 667 Australian voters examining support for a new conservative social movement in relation to attitudes toward Asian immigration, involvement in an evolving anti-immigration debate, and willingness to speak out politically. Supporters of the new conservatives were motivated to get involved and speak out by perceived threat to White Australians, as well as the perception of a favorable normative climate. In contrast, for opponents, higher education and welcoming attitudes toward Asian immigration were associated with political involvement, as well as the perception that the social climate was changing against them (becoming more conservative). The data show that in a time of changing public opinion, people may speak out more when they perceive that their views are losing ground, providing evidence for active resistance rather than a spiral of silence on the part of the losing side.

This article explores the experiences of asylum seekers who have been housed in Glasgow under the government's dispersal policy. It notes the work of the Audit Commission in identifying those factors which may be considered when assessing the suitability of areas for asylum-seeker settlement. These factors are then discussed in detail in relation to the Glasgow case study, using information derived from interviews with asylum seekers themselves, with service providers and various community and voluntary organizations. The article notes the impact of additional factors such as media coverage, which were not considered by the Audit Commission. The article discusses the appropriateness of cities such as Glasgow, with relatively small minority ethnic populations, as locations for asylum-seeker settlement, and explores the impact of devolution. It concludes by suggesting that areas such as Glasgow may, with the appropriate commitment, become places where asylum seekers may successfully settle, once they have received refugee status, with new multicultural communities being created.

The current report reviews the developmental, psychological, and environmental factors that influence the conduct and behaviors of children and youth (generally, ages 6-25) seeking refuge in the United States. During immigration proceedings, interpretations and assumptions regarding child and youth behavioral histories commonly influence legal and judicial decisions. These include decisions, acts, and behaviors relating to child and youth histories in their country of origin, as well as histories during their time in the United States. This consensus report reviews general considerations relevant for interpreting child and youth behavior, as well as specific factors and experiences that are particularly relevant for immigrant child and youth populations.

Looking at the development of place attachments and 'home' within a temporary housing context, this paper examines two specific Asylum Seeker housing schemes in Zürich, Switzerland, namely the TWS Aargauerstrasse and the TWS Leutschenbachstrasse. These case studies are viewed through two lenses, firstly, the modification of the temporary space itself, and secondly, the use of furniture and objects within the space. These lenses will allow one to determine the case studies value based on the success in creating new place attachments and feelings of satisfaction.

The article analyses Italian second reception system for asylum seekers and refugees (so-called SPRAR system), through the lens of psychosocial well-being. The author examines in depth the connections between migration, trauma and suffering, and proposes a
multidimensional definition of ‘psychosocial well-being’, by drawing on the conceptualization given by ‘Psychosocial Working Group’

Bisexual asylum seekers constitute a very low percentage among LGBT asylum seekers (Rehaag, 2009). While there is not enough data about the percentage of bisexual individuals among the LGBT population of the countries where most of these asylum seekers come from, some studies claim that the number of individuals who are attracted to more than one sex or gender is much higher than the number of gay and lesbian individuals in countries like US and UK (YouGov, 2015a, 2015b). Although human rights treaties and conventions claim to support all LGBT asylum seekers (e.g. UNHCR, 2011: 5, 2012: 4; The Council of the European Union, 2004; U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, 2011); in practice, bisexual asylum seeker’s claims may be rejected more than lesbian, gay and trans asylum seekers (Rehaag, 2009, Jansen and Spijkerboer, 2011; La Violette, 2015). In this chapter, I will review previous studies as well as theoretical discussions on asylum and sexual orientation to explain the invisibility of bisexual asylum seekers and discuss how they have to perform “refugee-ness” and “gayness” to fit within a dominant mononormative narrative to increase their chance of being granted asylum. In the end, I will review a recent study which shows that the chance of bisexual asylum seekers to be granted asylum has increased in the Netherlands (Jansen, 2019). However, as Jansen and Spijkerboer (2011) showed there have been significant differences between asylum policies of different European countries. Consequently, I will conclude that more studies need to be done to explore if the asylum policies in Europe have become more bi-inclusive.

The aim of his paper is twofold. First, it will display an ever-increasing phenomenon of Member States’ infringements of EU migration and asylum law as an instance of the violation of the principle of solidarity and discuss the reasons behind it. It will be suggested that EU inter-state solidarity is just as much about respecting EU law, as it is about helping each other, as the latter cannot subsist without the former. Second, the paper will consider whether the existing mechanisms of reducing the number of violations are sufficient and discuss the new mechanisms that are being developed – particularly the rule of law conditionality and other conditionality instruments. When addressing the reasons behind the frequent violations, the text will identify two groups of reasons, the first group being applicable to the whole of EU law, and the second one specifically to EU migration and asylum law. In this context, Member States’ violations will be construed as the process of political withdrawal or retrenchment from certain parts of the commonly adopted EU migration and asylum law. This will be explained by relying on the notion of “spillback”or disintegration (as opposed to further European integration based on the neofunctionalist concept of “spillover” effect into more policy areas) and on the concepts of “exit” and “voice” conceived by Albert Hirschman and developed further by Joseph Weiler in his seminal work “The Transformation of Europe”.

Alors que c’est souvent a la Seconde Guerre mondiale et a ses suites que sont associees les experiences des deplacements forces, des internements massifs de civils et de militaires, cet ouvrage propose de placer la focale sur un long XIXe siecle, de la Revolution francaise aux lendemains de la Premiere Guerre mondiale. Ce livre a pour ambition de proposer une analyse conjointe et comparee, a la fois diachronique et internationale, de trois grands types d’experiences a priori dissemblables, celles des refugies, des prisonniers de guerre et des deportes lors d’un siecle qui vit a la fois ces phenomenes se massifier et — lentement encore — se differencier. Ces trois formes de circulation transnationale contrainte — alors encore comparables a bien des egards — sont caracterisees par un moment d’arrachement qui se deroule dans un contexte de violence (guerre, revolution, crise), suivi d’une migration forcee et d’une implantation provisoire ou definitive. Ces deplaces subissent alors souv...

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Practical cooperation has passed from the margins to the center of the migration and asylum policies. The operationalisation of the hotspot approach to migration management points to the emergence of an increasingly integrated European administration. We are witnessing patterns of joint implementation, with experts deployed by EU AFSJ agencies involved in search and rescue operations, the registration and referral stages, as well as in the processing of asylum claims. However, less attention has been dedicated to a parallel development, that of the expansion of the mandate of EU JHA agencies, and specifically the revamped FRONTEX and EASO agencies, to include monitoring-like functions, as well as functions which have the potential to steer policy implementation. This creates obvious tensions with the agencies’ internal governance structures which are largely intergovernmental. In this contribution, I first outline some of the novel (envisaged) functions, while critically assessing the challenge of independence. I then open the question whether social accountability arrangements could act as a counterbalance.

Dit boekje komt voort uit actieonderzoek. Veel professionals hebben eraan bijgedragen.
Deze handleiding is voor Professionals én Immigranten in Nederland die met cultuurverschillen te maken hebben.
De samenstellers zijn zelf immigranten in Spanje en hebben geleerd om met de plaatselijke gewoonten om te gaan.

This research provides the first detailed, evidence-based analysis of current policy and practice in relation to age disputes of children and young people seeking asylum in the UK. The specific aims of the research are:
- To examine existing policy and practice in relation to age assessment by the Home Office, local authorities and others;
- To examine the implications of age dispute issues and of a child being treated as an adult for the way in which the asylum application is assessed, including the information that is (and is not) taken into account in making the decision, vulnerability to and experience of detention, and the consequences of the decision, including
actual and potential removal from the UK;
- To examine the consequences of age dispute issues and of a child being treated as an adult for the provision of legal representation, education, housing, welfare and support to children, including any inconsistencies or differences between local authorities in their approaches to the issue of age dispute and the nature and
extent of any provision made;
- To identify any child protection issues which arise in age disputed cases as a result of detention, inappropriate accommodation provision by local authorities and the National Asylum Support Service (NASS) and lack of access to existing child protection mechanisms;
- To consider the implications for children’s mental and emotional well-being of having their stated age disputed and the consequences for their personal and educational development; and
- To develop concrete and practical policy recommendations on an appropriate process for agreeing age in the asylum context, and on the relationship between the process of age assessment, the asylum determination process and support and leaving care arrangements.

It is hoped that the findings of the research will lead to reductions in the number of disputes, improvements in the assessment process, and the establishment of appropriate mechanisms for reviewing the assessment process without recourse to the courts.

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This paper illustrates the sites and effects of encounters between citizens and asylum seekers in different microspaces. While work on encounters has largely focused on ‘more deserving’ others, this paper analyses encounters with society’s abject, ‘unwelcome’ others. Building on feminist theory, I argue for the incorporation of a non-hierarchical understanding of difference into research on encounters, in order to recognize the multiplicity of individuals. Given a decline of spaces for ‘multiple publics’ to interact, this paper conceives of spaces for encounter as ‘public’ spaces. Insights into encounters occurring in such spaces are drawn from a case study of the Grandhotel Cosmopolis, a political art project in Augsburg, Germany. Findings are based on participatory observation, interviews and focus groups. The case illustrates not only how encounters were en- and disabled in its microspaces, but also how encounters initiate processes of learning and challenge situated perspectives.

Madres que buscan rastros de sus hijos en terrenos baldíos. Periodistas que tienen pesadillas en las que son ejecutados por armas de alto poder. Jóvenes que testimonian para conseguir el reconocimiento de las desapariciones forzadas en México ante actores internacionales. Activistas de derechos humanos que llevan la cuenta y registro de las víctimas invisibles de la llamada guerra contra el narcotráfico, es decir, las personas desplazadas. Estas temáticas integran los cuatro textos de este dossier, los cuales fueron escritos por mujeres que transitan entre la academia y el activismo. En ellos se exponen la deshumanización del discurso y el accionar militarista, se iluminan los significados de quienes sufren y resisten a tales circunstancias, y se evidencia el modo cruel en que la sociedad mexicana ha sido golpeada por la militarización de la seguridad pública. A través de estudios de caso, realizados mayormente en el norte del país y uno en la capital, se analiza la agencia de las víctimas, quienes, en colaboración con organizaciones de la sociedad civil y académicos, actúan para resarcir las violaciones a derechos humanos: desapariciones forzadas, ejecuciones extrajudiciales, ataques a la libertad de expresión y desplazamientos forzados.

This paper will use a psychodynamic lens to examine the policies of current and past Australian governments on the treatment of asylum seekers who have reached, and attempted to reach, Australia by boat.

The paper contends that the failure of Australians past and present to adaptively solve the social problems arising from our colonial past - namely the illegal arrival of the First Fleet on the shores of Botany Bay, the British assertion of terra nullius, and the subsequent stolen generation has created an intertwined chosen glory/trauma which has enmeshed itself in the unconscious large group identity of Australians. 

The paper references the work of Volkan, who has written extensively on the topic of unconscious chosen glory and trauma, to examine the high level of fear held by Australians at the prospect of asylum seekers arriving on Australia’s shores by boat. In doing so, it makes the connection between these fears and the morally challenging policies pursued by the Australian government, with the strong mandate of the Australian people, to deter would-be asylum seekers.

The paper is written in two parts – the first examines how, from an Indigenous Australian perspective, the arrival of the First Fleet has become a chosen trauma that has been transmitted through generations. It also examines how the same historical event is celebrated by the majority of Australians as a celebration of a chosen glory.  This event, the paper contends, represents a melting pot of unconscious, unprocessed emotions of guilt, anger, oppression and mourning for all Australians and that the symbol of the boat arriving on the shores of Botany Bay has come to be an object of fear (especially fear of what might happen if the boat is not stopped). The image of the boat, therefore, triggers an unconscious terror that the oppressor may suddenly become the oppressed - that our connection to country, culture, language and shared memory may be irrevocably lost at the hands of whoever arrives on our shores by boat.  

The second part of the paper argues that this fear of the boat has given rise to some of the most draconian asylum seeker policies developed by a western government in modern times. It draws a conclusion that these policies arise as a result of our collective failure to adaptively resolve the social problems arising from the arrival of the First Fleet.

This article explores issues raised by an earlier Irish study conducted with migrants living with HIV. The latter highlighted the fact that many of those newly diagnosed with HIV in Ireland are from sub-Saharan African, were in the asylum system when first diagnosed, and were not accessing available supports. This article discusses the impact the current policy of holding asylum seekers in 'direct provision' accommodation has on best practice in HIV care and prevention. The challenges facing health care workers providing HIV care in multicultural Ireland, in a system where immigration policies are known to inhibit integration into Irish society, are discussed. The article concludes that to provide adequate support to those living with HIV there may be a need to address the potential adverse impact of 'direct provision' accommodation for asylum seekers.

Family Matters: The Family as a Resource for the Mental, Social, and Relational Wellbeing of Migrants, Asylum Seekers, and Other Displaced Populations

Vincenzo Di Nicola and Suzan Song

World Association of Social Psychiatry (WASP) Textbook of Social Psychiatry
Oxford University Press, forthcoming

Abstract

This chapter addresses the role of the family in the mental, social and relational wellbeing of migrants – immigrants, refugees, and displaced children, adolescents, and adults (hereafter referred to as “migrants”). Starting with a review of the ecosocial changes in a family after migration to new countries, cultures, and contexts, we will then discuss how clinicians can respond to the unique challenges for displaced families using a family-based approach. This requires a basic epistemological shift towards families and communities when dealing with migration and trauma. The key notion is that families are the crucible for socialization and belonging and crucial resources for the care, support, and healing of its members. 

First, it is important to understand the difference between individual and family functioning, using relational psychology. The family genogram is presented as an information-gathering tool (McGoldrick, et al., 2008). A brief overview of this approach based in systems theory, family therapy, and other relational therapies is offered, noting that these approaches were founded on more or less stable social and cultural contexts. The first challenge for clinicians with displaced persons is to add a socio-cultural dimension to sensitize them to working with families across cultures (see Di Nicola, 1985a, 1985b, 1997, 1998), appreciating changing definitions of families, and understanding families in light of globalization and Global Mental Health (Cohen, et al., 2013; Patel & Prince, 2010; Di Nicola, 2012). A cultural genogram helps the clinician understand the family’s culture of origin. The second challenge is to appreciate how family functioning is affected by disasters and conflicts leading to displacement, including migration and refugee status. These dislocations not only disrupt family functioning in the culture of origin (enculturation), but demand adaptation to other cultures (acculturation). This is often not a unitary process but a sequential one, requiring multiple adaptations, leading to the creation of a new, synthetic refugee culture.

Some of the clinical challenges for the clinician include family fragmentation (Sluzki, 1979, 1992) and new family configurations, exposure to traumatic incidents, and differential effects of fragmentation and trauma across the domains of age (with unique challenges for refugee youth, elderly and special needs), gender (with special sensitivity to how LGBTQ issues morph across culture), culture (including language, religion, and social class), and other aspects of identity and belonging. Critical issues include the need to balance dealing with loss while promoting healthy adaptations to new realities, using the resources of the family, including all of its members and the community of care in its new contexts.

Keywords: family assessment, family therapy, migrant and refugee families, displaced persons, globalization, Global Mental Health, trauma

Book chapter reviewing the experience of Nujeen Mustafa, a disabled child refugee who made the journey from Syria to Germany by foot at the height of the migration crisis in the summer of 2015.

Full reference:
Barbulescu, Roxana and Angharad Beckett (2019). ‘The Girl from Aleppo: Nujeen’s Escape from War to Freedom’ in In G. Thomas Couser, & S. B. Mintz (Eds.), Reference Guide to Life Writing by Disabled Persons (1st ed.): Volume 2 South Carolina, U. S. A.: Layman Poupard Publishing.