Home Affairs Committee
Information for Home Affairs Committee on Asylum
1.1. I am a clinical psychologist working in the NHS, in the Step 4 Psychological Health service, a service that bridges primary and secondary care, providing talking therapies in the community. I have provided one-to-one therapy for people at various stages of the asylum system, from those awaiting a first decision to those whose claims have been accepted. I have also been involved in providing training in work with refugees and asylum seekers, run group sessions (mental health education) at the Notts. and Nottingham Refugee Forum (NNRF) and been a visitor for detainees at Morton Hall Immigration Detention Centre.
1.2. As someone working with asylum seekers and refugees, I would like to submit my experiences as evidence for the HAC, as I believe the current system is deeply flawed. As things stand, the asylum system contributes significantly to the distress experienced by asylum seekers and refugees.
Areas of inquiry
2.1. The use of Country of Origin Information and Operational Guidance Notes in determining the outcome of asylum applications. My only experience in this area was through a young Eritrean man, who had been tortured in his home country. He was told that the UKBA did not believe he was Eritrean, but was not told where they thought he was from, or on what grounds they disbelieved him.
2.2. The assessment of the credibility of women, the mentally ill, victims of torture and specific nationalities within the decision-making process and whether this is reflected in appeal outcomes. People I have worked with describe the system as legalistic and concerned only with correct process rather than trying to find out the truth behind people’s arrival in the UK. The UKBA appear to misunderstand some aspects of mental illness: 1) mental illness originating from destitution and stressful circumstances in the UK is not trivial or somehow less “real” than that occasioned by traumatic events in people’s country of origin. 2) the absence of a diagnosis of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) does not equate to the absence of mental health problems or evidence that the person has not suffered trauma.
2.3. Although several of the people I have worked with have endured torture and other traumatic events, I have rarely seen “classical” trauma reactions among those people who are yet to receive refugee status. This is consistent with the idea that such presentations emerge only when people feel they are no longer in danger. This highlights the degree to which the asylum process is an abusive one, particularly given the length of time people spend waiting for decisions and appeals.
One client I have been working with came to the decision that she would rather return to her home country to face two years imprisonment in an institution where she was previously tortured and sexually abused, rather than face an uncertain length of time waiting for a decision from the Home Office.
2.4. Whether the system of support to asylum applicants (including section 4 support) is sufficient and effective and possible improvements. The majority of asylum applicants referred to the service in which I work are suffering because of the stress they are under, including financial hardship. The policy of dispersal makes forming communities more difficult, and breaks up social networks. The refusal of the right to work is experienced by many as punitive, being put in place solely to dehumanise asylum seekers.
2.5. The prevalence of destitution amongst asylum applicants and refused asylum seekers. Housing, particularly for people whose initial claims have been rejected, is a constant problem. Lack of a permanent address restricts people’s access to statutory services and aggravates other issues. A client of mine has proved difficult to contact because she has been forced to repeatedly move house.
2.6. Whether the media is balanced in their reporting of asylum issues. One exercise carried out in training I have attended has been to ask people to guess answers to questions such as “how many asylum seekers are in the UK?” or “does Britain receives more or fewer refugees than [various other countries]?” The fact that people consistently overestimate the number of asylum claimants suggests that media presentation of this topic is unbalanced. Asylum is a topic that arouses strong opinions, yet the degree to which people are uninformed (or actively misinformed) about the asylum process is staggering.
Mental Health needs seen amongst Asylum Seekers and Refugees in our service
3.1. While each individual’s circumstances are different, there are certainly many commonalities among the people from refugee backgrounds who are referred to our service. The stressors placed upon asylum seekers operate in several ways:
3.2. Being suspected—Asylum seekers have described the suspicion with which immigration officials treat their claims. Nothing is believed without documentation. The current media treatment of asylum seekers, in which they are presented as “spongers”, only exacerbates feelings of persecution.
3.3. Being left in limbo—Asylum seekers do not expect to be dealt with in a reasonable timeframe, with appointments often postponed for months with no reason given. In that time, many people do not feel able to continue their lives, since they are uncertain over their future. Not understanding English, or being unfamiliar with the processes involved in, e.g. seeking healthcare, can mean that refugees simply have to hope and trust that what they are doing is correct, while not fully understanding what’s happening.
3.4. Disengagement from society—the sense of being suspended that many asylum seekers experience is heightened by the fact that the vast majority are refused the right to work. In our society, this is tantamount to being made a non-person.
3.5. Layers of trauma—In addition to the original circumstances that forced them out of their country of origin, refugees face an often arduous journey to the UK, hostility and suspicion upon arrival, then having to rebuild a life for themselves in a foreign country. For many, this is compounded by fear for loved ones, guilt at having escaped, or having had illusions shattered.
Several people have told me of their disappointment in Britain, which they had perceived as a country where they could find justice. Instead, they feel that the system is cold, uncaring and so biased as to prevent legitimate refugees from obtaining asylum.
3.6. It is my belief that the asylum system in its current form damages the reputation of the UK, wastes the skills possessed by asylum seekers, causes untold distress to vulnerable people who have suffered much already and demonises the people it is supposed to help.
Dr Vik Nair
Clinical Psychologist
April 2013