Evaluating faith after conversion

BackgroundIn Finland, asylum seekers from countries with high tuberculosis (TB) incidence (> 50/100,000 population/year) and those coming from a refugee camp or conflict area are eligible for TB screening. The aim of this study was to characterise the TB cases diagnosed during screening and estimate the yield of TB screening at the reception centres among asylum seekers, who arrived in Finland during 2015–2016.MethodsVoluntary screening conducted at reception centres included an interview and a chest X-ray. Data on TB screening and health status of asylum seekers was obtained from the reception centres’ national health register (HRS). To identify confirmed TB cases, the National Infectious Disease Register (NIDR) data of foreign-born cases during 2015–2016 were linked with HRS data. TB screening yield was defined as the percentage of TB cases identified among screened asylum seekers, stratified by country of origin.ResultsDuring 2015–2016, a total of 38,134 asylum applications were received (57% were from Iraq, 16% from Afghanistan and 6% from Somalia) and 25,048 chest x-rays were performed. A total of 96 TB cases were reported to the NIDR among asylum seekers in 2015–2016; 94 (98%) of them had been screened. Screening identified 48 (50%) cases: 83% were male, 56% aged 18–34 years, 42% from Somalia, 27% from Afghanistan and 13% from Iraq. Furthermore, 92% had pulmonary TB, 61% were culture-confirmed and 44% asymptomatic. TB screening yield was 0.19% (48/25048) (95%CI, 0.14–0.25%) and it varied between 0 and 0.83% stratified by country of origin. Number needed to screen was 522.ConclusionsTB screening yield was higher as compared with data reported from other European countries conducting active screening among asylum seekers. Half of the TB cases among asylum seekers were first suspected in screening; 44% were asymptomatic. TB yield varied widely between asylum seekers from different geographic areas.

LGBT+ asylum seekers face multiple challenges in their countries of origin as well as in their host countries. Violence and structural discrimination against this community are common and affect their whole asylum process. Violence and structural discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity stress the needs of LGBT+ asylum seekers in particular in regards to reception accommodations. In this study we investigated factors that contribute to the (un)safety of reception accommodations for LGBT+ asylum seekers in Germany. Qualitative semi-structured interviews were conducted with 11 participants from two groups, namely, professionals, and former and current LGBT+ asylum seekers. Thematic analysis was used to analyze the data and revealed multiple factors influencing the safety of LGBT+ asylum seekers in accommodations. These were clustered according to the used frameworks in the categories individual level, physical and social environment, and policies. The factors for (un) safety included amongst others interpersonal violence based on sexual orientation and gender identity, gender-neutral sanitary areas or lockable rooms, community support, and policies that govern where asylum seekers are accommodated, and which protection measures are set up in accommodations. Applying an intersectional lens, transgender asylum seekers were described as more vulnerable than other LGBT+ individuals. The analysis concluded that binding policies are necessary to guarantee safer accommodations for LGBT+ asylum seekers in Germany. Besides, the social cisheteronormative structures that manifest in discrimination of LGBT+ asylum seekers must be structurally deconstructed by, among others, training staff on LGBT+ needs and increase inclusivity among the asylum seeker community and in the host country.Key messagesIn Germany, the European country with the highest number of refugees, LGBT+ asylum seekers face many challenges related to their sexual orientation and gender identity.Several factors interplay in the (un)safety of accommodations for LGBT+ asylum seekers.

In this paper, we take a novel approach to study the empirical relationship between public debate in the media and asylum acceptance rates in Europe from 2002–2016. In theory, an asylum seeker should experience the same likelihood of being granted refugee status from each of the 20 European countries we study. Yet, in practice, acceptance rates vary widely for nearly every asylum country of origin. We address this inconsistency with a data-driven approach by analyzing refugee-related news articles and data on asylum decisions across 20 Europe countries for more than 100 asylum seekers’ countries of origin. We find that: (i) public debate sentiment in the media is strongly associated with European countries’ diverging asylum practices, much more so than social, cultural or economic factors, and (ii) by combining different measures of public debate we can make out-of-sample predictions within 3% of true acceptance rates (on average). We conclude by discussing the practical implications of our findings for European asylum practices.

PurposeRefugees and asylum seekers worldwide face numerous barriers in accessing health systems. The evidence base regarding who and what helps refugees and asylum seekers facilitate access to and the navigation of the health system in the UK is small. This study aims to address this gap by analysing 14 semi-structured, in-depth interviews with refugees and asylum seekers of different countries of origin in the UK to identify where, when and how they came into contact with the health-care system and what the outcome of these interactions was.Design/methodology/approachSemi-structured, in-depth interviews were chosen as the key method for this study. In total, 14 individual interviews were conducted. A trauma-informed research approach was applied to reduce the risk of re-traumatising participants.FindingsThe paper identifies key obstacles as well as “facilitators” of refugees’ and asylum seekers’ health-care experience in the UK and suggests that host families, friends and third-party organisations all play an important role in ensuring refugees and asylum seekers receive the healthcare they need.Originality/valueTo the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first qualitative study in the UK that looks at comprehensive health journeys of refugees from their first encounter with health services through to secondary care, highlighting the important role along the way of facilitators such as host families, friends and third-party organisations.

IntroductionRefugee children in Western countries are considered to be at increased risk for child maltreatment. Data about asylum seeker children, however, are rare. The aim of our study was to...

The treatment of asylum seekers remains a global challenge, with states balancing their humanitarian obligations against domestic and international political considerations. Thailand has a long history of hosting asylum seekers, and appears to respect the principle of non-refoulement, although the Thai government’s responses have been inconsistent. Under Prayut Chan-o-cha’s premiership, while some asylum seekers were accommodated or assisted in going to third countries, others were repatriated to their countries of origin. This study employs the rationalist approach to analyze Thailand’s mixed compliance with the principle of non-refoulement between 2014 and 2019, examining the power dynamics of the international refugee regime, the role of reputation, and interstate relations. A comparative analysis between the cases of returns and cases in which deportations were averted provides insights into the complex decision-making process. First, the findings reveal that international refugee regime has a limited efficacy. Second, reputation plays a significant role in compliance when there is a high degree of pressure and a clear impact on a country’s foreign policy goals. Third, interstate relations also influence the Thai government’s decisions, as favorable relationships with the countries of origin may take precedence over the principle of non-refoulement.

Refugee health nursing.

Children of asylum seekers are at risk for psychosocial problems because of their flight history and exceptional living circumstances. This study aims to assess the association of sociodemographic factors and asylum procedural factors with psychosocial problems of asylum seekers' children, and differences herein by informant (parents, teachers, and children). To this end, we obtained data on psychosocial problems among a random sample of 267 children aged 4 to 16, living in Dutch asylum seekers' centers, using the multi-informant Strength and Difficulties Questionnaire. The results show that the prevalence rate of psychosocial problems among asylum seekers' children was high. The occurrence was not associated with asylum-procedural variables but only with child-contextual factors such as mental health of the mother and leaving behind a parent in the country of origin. The associations varied in strength by informant. Therefore, preventive and supportive measures to improve psychosocial health of young asylum-seekers should concentrate on these contextual issues.

Several studies indicate that immigration is associated with a higher risk for mental disorders, particularly in refugees and asylum seekers. We investigated migration-related distress in outpatients with Turkish migration background and a psychiatric disorder. Asylum applicants (ASA) and migrants with a permanent residency status (PRS) from a specialized German psychiatric outpatient service were compared with respect to clinical variables and stressors related to migration and acculturation. Of n = 620 migrant outpatients (main diagnosis: 3.9% ICD-10 F2, 58.2% F3, 36.5% F4, 1.5% F60), n = 78 (12.6%) were ASA with larger proportions of illiteracy and language difficulties. Communication problems, stress related to migration, shame feelings, homesickness and perceived discrimination occurred more often in ASA whereas family conflicts were more frequent in PRS (P < 0.05). According to our results, adaptation to the new environment of asylum applicants implies more difficulties, especially language problems, feelings of shame, and experience of discrimination. Asylum seeking seems to denote an additional severe psychological stressor.

Both geographic and normative constraints restrict access to surrogate international human rights protection for those seeking a haven from serious human rights abuses. Primary among territorial restrictions has been the fall-out from the US Supreme Court's decision in Sale v. Haitian Council Centers in which the court explicitly ruled that nothing in US statutory law, or in the 1951 Convention on Refugees or its 1967 Protocol, precluded the interdiction of Haitian refugees in international waters and their return to the country of origin without an effective interview on their protection clams. This ruling is in transparent contradiction to the general international law norm of non-refoulement according to modern scholarship and emerging case law. This paper concludes that Sale should be overturned by statute as should related pre-screening practices. A new standard of “jurisdiction” should be adopted which does not depend on territorial access to a signatory state but on whether the state is exercising power in fact. Similar concerns exist with respect to safe third country agreements which often offend the international customary right of the asylum seeker to choose where his or her claim will be filed. This paper argues that the right of choice should be recognized and onward travel and admission to the country of destination allowed. This result is especially called for where return of the alien by the country of first contact raises serious concerns under the law of non-refoulement. Imbalances noted in this paper include those generated by the new terrorism related grounds of inadmissibility in the United States and the summary denial of children's asylum claims flowing from gang violence. Other questions are raised in this paper concerning work authorization and detention of asylum seekers. Access to an employment authorization document for those filing colorable claims should be recognized by statute to render US practice consistent with that of most other states. Release from detention, on the other hand, for asylum seekers has now been broadly recognized by the US Department of Homeland Security where the asylum seeker's identity can be ascertained and the claim is non-frivolous in nature. This approach is largely consistent with international law, although there have been unnecessary delays in implementing it. On the substantive law, the international customary norm of non-refoulment has been expanded considerably through the development of opinio juris by scholars and the practice of states. This paper traces efforts in Europe to develop a law of temporary refuge for those fleeing civil war situations characterized by humanitarian law violations. Similarly, case law under the European Convention of Human Rights has now come to focus on the harm the claimant would suffer as the result of conditions in the country of origin without identifying an explicit agent of serious harm. Related to these developments has been the notion of complementary protection under which relief can be conferred where the alien would suffer serious harm upon return to the home state but not for a Convention reason. These approaches have now received approval in the European Union Asylum Qualification Directive so that international protection may now be conferred either because the alien would suffer serious harm on account of the intensity of human rights violations taking place in the country of origin, or those conditions, taken in conjunction with the claimant's personal situation, support a finding that the claimant would be impacted. This paper argues that this latter standard has now been made a part of the customary norm of non-refoulement and that it should be recognized by statute as a basis for non-return and coupled with status where the new standard can be met. Such a measure would help restore the nation's commitment to human rights and humanitarian concerns.

In recent years there has been a progressive rise in the number of asylum seekers and refugees displaced from their country of origin, with significant social, economic, humanitarian and public health implications. In comparison with the general population, refugees and asylum seekers have been shown to experience higher prevalence rates of a range of disorders, including Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Although there is substantial variability in prevalence rates, PTSD is frequent and is much more likely in refugees and asylum seekers compared to host populations. In terms of psychosocial interventions, cognitive behavioral interventions and narrative exposure therapy are supported by some evidence of efficacy that would suggest the possibility of decreasing PTSD symptoms in this vulnerable group. Overall, psychosocial interventions for asylum seekers and refugees with PTSD were found to provide significant benefits in reducing PTSD symptoms. Therefore these data provide an evidence base to inform decisions in clinical practice and in policy making, considering that an appropriate treatment is a right of refugees and a way to better adaptation and integration in hosted country.

ObjectivesSexual violence can have a destructive impact on the lives of people. It is more common in unstable conditions such as during displacement or migration of people. On the Greek island of Lesvos, Médecins Sans Frontières provided medical care to survivors of sexual violence among the population of asylum seekers. This study describes the patterns of sexual violence reported by migrants and asylum seekers and the clinical care provided to them.MethodsThis is a descriptive study, using routine program data. The study population consisted of migrants and asylum seekers treated for conditions related to sexual violence at the Médecins Sans Frontières clinic on Lesvos Island (September 2017-January 2018).ResultsThere were 215 survivors of sexual violence who presented for care, of whom 60 (28%) were male. The majority of incidents reported (94%) were cases of rape; 174 (81%) of survivors were from Africa and 185 (86%) of the incidents occurred over a month before presentation. Half the incidents (118) occurred in transit, mainly in Turkey, and 76 (35%) in the country of origin; 10 cases (5%) occurred on Lesvos. The perpetrator was known to the survivor in 23% of the cases. The need for mental health care exceeded the capacity of available mental care services.ConclusionEven though the majority of cases delayed seeking medical care after the incident, it is crucial that access to mental health services is guaranteed for those in need. Such access and security measures for people in transit need to be put in place along migration routes, including in countries nominally considered safe, and secure routes need to be developed.

The advent of democracy in the country has not only seen the liberation of the oppressed South African society, but it has also turned South Africa into a safe haven for displaced people of the world to seek asylum or refugee status. South Africa currently faces signifi cant migration-related challenges which need to be addressed as a matter of urgency. One such challenge is around asylum seekers and refugees. As a contribution towards finding sustainable solutions, this article will seek to profi le asylum seekers in South Africa. The article will attempt to identify trends in e.g. country of origin, and challenges faced by asylum seekers and refugees in the host country, South Africa. The overwhelming majority of asylum seekers and refugees in South Africa come from the rest of Africa hence this article will attempt to examine the issue of asylum seekers and refugees in its rightful context.

AimsUnaccompanied asylum-seeking children (UASC) are a vulnerable group who experience lot of physical and mental health difficulties during their journey. In the UK, it is statutory for all UASC to...

INTRODUCTION. Forced migration is one of the most difficult global problems. There is a clear interdependence between the problem of refugees and the issue of human rights, since human rights violations are one of the main reasons for the mass exodus of people from their countries of origin. It is also clear that counties that provide asylum have a sustainable practice of respecting the human dignity. Forced migrants have rights that must be respected during all stages of the exodus. We are talking about the fundamental rights and freedoms proclaimed in international and regional human rights treaties, primarily the protection of human dignity and the restoration of the minimum rights of people who left their countries of origin. This article discusses the problems of realization of the minimum rights of forced migrants, that is, those rights that guarantee survival and an adequate standard of living. The authors conduct a detailed study of national legislation in the field of forced migration of such European countries as Italy and Spain. In particular, this article analyzes recent legislative changes adopted in this countries in the field of asylum and the consequences for the realization of fundamental rights of refugees and asylum seekers. MATERIALS AND METHODS. This research is based on the analysis of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights of 1948, the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights of 1966, the Geneva Convention relating to the Status of Refugees of 1951, the European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms of 1950, European Social Charter of 1961, European Union Charter of Fundamental Rights of 2000, UNHCR standards for receiving asylum seekers, and also an in-depth analysis of the national legislation of Italy and Spain in the field of forced migration. The methodological basis of the research consists of both general scientific (comparative historical and statistical methods, methods of generalization and systems analysis, case-study approach) and specific scientific (formal legal and comparative legal methods, method of interpretation of legal norms) research methods. RESULTS OF RESEARCH. On the basis of the analysis of international treaties, European and national legislation, judicial practice of states, as well as doctrinal studies of different researches, the authors formulate some conclusions related to the main problems of legislative regulation and the implementation of minimum rights of forced migrants in such EU member states as Italy and Spain. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS. Despite the existence of international and, in particular, European standards in the field of human rights, practically those rights that are necessary for survival and maintenance of an adequate standard of living of people who have applied for asylum are not always fully respected. The experience of the Italian Republic and the Kingdom of Spain shows that fundamental rights of refugees can be often violated both during the examination of asylum applications and after their satisfaction. The absence of a unified legislative base, the tendency to pursue a more restrictive policy in the field of forced migration and unresolved problems of asylum legislation entail significant impediments for the realization in these countries of the basic rights of one of the most vulnerable category of people as forced migrants.