Dear Readers,
In this month’s newsletter we would like to turn our attention to a significant yet often overlooked issue: mental health. While discussions on displacement frequently highlight physical challenges, the equally important aspect of psychological well-being often remains unspoken. Invisible to the naked eye, these mental health issues are often created or worsened by forced displacement, and dehumanising conditions.
Is there any assistance available for asylum seekers during their difficult journey? Living in overcrowded camps, in unsafe conditions, where general care is already a challenge, we can only imagine how difficult it must be to access psychosocial support.
In addition, can asylum seekers find a free and reliable way to get mental health support once they are safely relocated in a European city?
The current standards within the EU for the provision of health and mental care for asylum seekers are outlined in the Common European Asylum System (CEAS). According to the CEAS, asylum seekers should have access to necessary and emergency healthcare, under Article 19 of the Reception Conditions Directive.
However, this provision does not specifically address the aspects of cost and affordability. Even where healthcare is fully state-funded, asylum seekers may be required to pay for health care, depending on their legal status and documentation. Moreover, even where there is universal healthcare coverage, there are still gaps that result in challenges or denial of healthcare for people on the move. These barriers can include, but are not limited to, insufficient information on health system functioning, fees that people cannot pay, lack of interpreters and discriminatory behaviour.
Across the EU, people on the move are frequently internally relocated within their host states by authorities, disrupting any long-term relationship with care providers and ongoing medical treatments. Translation can also often be an issue that can lead to miscommunication.
Furthermore, the exchange of data between health and immigration authorities has been reported to be a further deterrent in accessing healthcare for those with ongoing asylum claims. In the United Kingdom, for example, the NHS shares information with the Home Office and alerts them to the presence of undocumented migrants in cases of overdue payments. As a result of these data-sharing practices, people on the move with ongoing asylum claims are more likely to rely on NGOs for certain health concerns.
In Europe, the mental health support available for people on the move is insufficient. Consequently, the responsibility to bridge the gap falls upon NGOs. Boat Refugee Foundation is a NGO addressing this crucial need. Operating in Greece, specifically in the region of Lesvos, this organisation is actively engaged in providing mental health support services. The challenges faced by those on the move, as well as the dehumanising conditions and uncertainties of displacement, highlight the urgency of such initiatives.
- EMA Newsletter Team
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