Displaced Persons Research Articles

Inclusion of Ukrainian Schoolchildren Seeking Refuge from the War into the Czech Education System

This paper addresses the inclusion of Ukrainian schoolchildren who were forced to leave their homes because of Russian military aggression. The research is aimed at identifying the specifics of the inclusive process regarding the children of war and analyzing the features that are different compared to traditional approaches to the inclusion of forced migrants. Building upon the results of a focus group study, the article emphasizes the importance of consolidating the potential of specialists of Ukraine and the Czech Republic in the context of the integration of traditions and innovations of both countries to overcome the difficulties of educational inclusion of Ukrainian schoolchildren - forced migrants.

Doomed at Sea? Maritime Spaces and the Jewish Refugee Crisis in the 1930s

ABSTRACT This article provides new insights into the history of forced migration during the Nazi regime by investigating the maritime space of the ‘ship’ and its inscribed notions and perceptions in times of persecution and oppression. It highlights the various functions and transformations of the ‘ship’, but also analyses the conflicting social, political and economic interests of the different protagonists. Using the ships Königstein and Caribia as case studies, the paper opens up new perspectives on the processes of Jewish forced migration and illustrates the importance of maritime spaces for a better understanding of the Jewish refugee crisis in the 1930s.

Au-delà de la traversée : The Transatlantic Slave Trade within Prerevolutionary Saint Domingue

Abstract: Prior to the 1791 revolution, three-quarters of a million captive Africans were dragged to Saint Domingue through the transatlantic slave trade. Re-creating these Africans' pathways of forced migration after their arrival in the island reveals the existence of a large, sophisticated, and well-organized intracolonial slave trade on Saint Domingue that has largely escaped the attention of historians. Slave ship captains steered their vessels to different locations within the colony depending on the age, health, ethnicity, and gender of their captives, determining where in the island enslaved people would likely spend the remainder of their lives. Colonial slave traders then organized sales that were designed to sort physically diverse captives and distribute them to socially and racially diverse colonial buyers. Africans moved away from such sales to remarkably varied fates: many were marched to sugar, coffee, indigo or cotton plantations; others were forced to work as servants or apprentices in port cities; and still more were held in urban barracoons and later resold, sometimes hundreds of miles away. Enslaved people were thus forced through an intracolonial slave trade that powerfully determined their often-divergent fates and began to acclimatize them to the brutalities of colonial life.

War and Migration – when Mental Health is left behind

IntroductionWars and armed conflicts are known to have devastating consequences for both physical and mental health of all the people involved. Studies have shown that conflict situations cause more mortality and disability than any major disease and, among the consequences of war, the impact on mental health of the civilian population is one of the most significant.Forced migration, compelling people to become internally displaced or refugees who have fled to other countries, is responsible for additional physical and mental health problems. Regardless of the reasons for migration, the process itself can be a highly stressful life event, leading to a higher risk of psychiatric disorders. Refugees are particularly susceptible to mood and anxiety disorders, whose prevalence rates is almost twice as high as those found among non-refugee migrants.ObjectivesSince 2022, with the progression of the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, and the establishment of a real war scenario, many Ukrainians were forced to leave their homeland, to ensure their survival and security. In Europe, many countries took in Ukrainian refugees and Portugal was no exception.In the Psychiatry Inpatient Service of University Hospital Center of São João, there were admissions of Ukrainian refugees who already had a known mental disease - at that time decompensated - and also new cases, to date without follow-up by the specialty.MethodsIn this work, we will carry out a bibliographical review on the impact of war and migration on mental health and the potential of proper medical approach, based on articles indexed in Pubmed, in the last 10 years.Furthermore, we will present the cases of war refugees interned in our service between January 2022 and December 2023.ResultsWe will describe the psychopathological features and also the sociofamilial circumstances of these patients, as well as explain the intervention and longitudinal support developed in these cases.ConclusionsAs a conclusion, we point out the importance of approaching mental illness in light of the individual’s context, knowing that this context may contain the problem and also the solution. War and forced migration bring increased challenges to psychiatry and, in an increasingly globalized society, geographical, linguistic or cultural barriers cannot impose limits on our best and most appropriate medical treatment.Disclosure of InterestNone Declared

Determinants of self-rated health among highly educated Ukrainian women refugees in Czechia: analysis based on cross-sectional study in 2022

BackgroundRussia’s military aggression against Ukraine set in motion a large number of refugees. Considerable amount of them came and stayed in Czechia. Refugees represent special vulnerable individuals often affected by war physically and psychologically. Due to the national regulations not allowing most of Ukrainian men aged 18–60 to leave the country, nowadays Ukrainian forced migration is relatively young and strongly gendered. Evidence suggests the higher probability for searching the safe refuge abroad among Ukrainian women with small children as well as those with relatively higher economic and cultural capital. The aim of this study is to identify the structural features of systemic risks associated with war migration by examining determinants of self-rated health among forcibly displaced highly educated Ukrainian women of productive age residing in Czechia.MethodsData from one wave of the panel survey among Ukrainian refugees in Czechia conducted in September 2022 was used. Determinants of self-rated health including self-reported diseases and healthcare factors, lifestyle, human and social capital, economic factors, and migration characteristics were analysed using binary logistic regression.ResultsAbout 45% highly educated Ukrainian women refugees in Czechia assessed their health as poor. The poor self-rated health was mostly associated with the number of diseases and depressive symptoms, and by social capital and economic factors. Having four and more diseases (OR = 13.26; 95%-CI: 5.61–31.35), showing some severe depressive symptoms (OR = 7.20; 95%-CI: 3.95–13.13), experiencing difficulties to seek help from others (OR = 2.25; 95%-CI: 1.20–4.23), living alone in a household (OR = 2.67; 95%-CI: 1.37–5.27), having severe material deprivation (OR = 2.70; 95%-CI: 1.35–5.41) and coming originally from the eastern part of Ukraine (OR = 2.96; 95%-CI: 1.34–6.55) increased the chance of these refugees to assess their health as poor.ConclusionSocial and economic determinants such as lack of social contacts for seeking help and material deprivation were found to be crucial for self-rated health and should be tackled via migration policies. Further, qualitative research is needed to better understand the mechanisms behind the factors affecting subjectively assessed health.

Eco-anxiety, how can the awareness on fighting global warming is becoming a mental health problem

IntroductionAlthough the issue of climate change usually brings thoughts of environmental impact and physical health concerns to our consciousness, climate change also affects people’s mental health. Nowadays there is an emerging condition about climate change anxiety (CCA), defined as negative responses associated with global warming, with apprehension and stress related to the anticipation of threats to the ecosystem and our species. It may include cognitive, emotional, and behavioral responses, for example, persistent worries, psychological distress, or sleep difficulties related to long-term consequences of climate change, and can result in functional impairment.ObjectivesA literature review to analyse the evidence, to be aware of individuals overconcerned about global warming, bring awereness and promote an appropriate seek of professional help when neededMethodsUsing the Medline database through the Pubmed search engine was used, with the keywords: “climate change anxiety”, “eco-anxiety”.ResultsDespite the lack of studies, CCA affects a substantial proportion, especially the younger population, aged from 16 to 25 years old worldwide. As a result of ecoanxiety, people are becoming anxious about their future and the future of the planet as we currently know it, the terrifying and at some extent uncertainty of it. It is documented the importance of green and blue spaces (water places) specially in urban areas for mental wellbeing – as our environment is quickly changing with the global warming, the reduction/disappearing of these areas are ongoing; besides this direct consequence, the disruption of these places results in feelings of loss due to changes to personally significant places a phenomenon known as ‘ecological grief’. Additionally, the occurrence of natural disasters like heatwaves, hurricanes, flooding, wildfire, and drought, raising concern and the socially-mediated impacts of forced migration and conflict caused by it. Self-reported presentations may include panic attacks, insomnia, obsessive thinking, and/or appetite changes caused by environmental concerns. If prolonged symptoms, depressive, anxious disease, post-traumatic stress disorder, among others can develop.ConclusionsTo reduce eco-anxiety individuals can take steps to reduce their carbon footprint, engage in activism and advocacy, bringing more awareness to the subjects and thus taking measures to mitigate the effects of climate change and protect the environment. It’s equal important to consider and address the mental health impacts of climate change, this additionally includes providing adequate emotional and psychological support to those affected.Disclosure of InterestNone Declared

The problem of loneliness and coping with stress in the context of life situations experienced by war refugees (based on the research conducted in Rivne, Ukraine)

The article presents the findings of a thorough investigation of the problem of loneliness and coping with stress in the context of life situations experienced by war refugees, based on an empirical study of 304 internally displaced persons (IDPs) in the city of Rivne. The study has shown that IDPs are currently the most vulnerable category of the population due to the following factors: these people have suffered a deterioration of their life quality in terms of the financial and social status which they enjoyed before displacement; they are emotionally unstable and psychologically exhausted as a result of the traumatic war-related events they experienced. Stress, anxiety, fear, and uncertainty have become typical reactions characteristic of displaced persons of any age. The psycho-emotional state of war refugees causes a feeling of alienation, severe stress and loneliness — phenomena that are the result of a number of factors associated with war as one of the most serious crisis situations. As part of the Science for Society II program, the Minister of Education and Science of Poland launched the Faces of Stress and Loneliness in the Context of Military Migration project (November 2023 – March 2024), which envisages conducting a comparative study with the participation of groups of refugees currently living in the cities of Legnica and Krakow (Poland), Drohobych and Rivne (Ukraine). The purpose of the study is to gain an insight into the feeling of loneliness experienced by refugees and internally displaced persons and the coping strategies they use, to determine the level of awareness of global loneliness and its three aspects (emotional, social, existential), to determine the characteristic features of coping strategies used by the respondents in various stressful situations, as well as their long-term and far-reaching social consequences for the further psychosocial functioning of a person in various areas of life. The objectives of the project include determining the possibility of coping with stress by refugees in order to adapt to new circumstances and to continue living an active life under the conditions of war and in the period of transition to peace. A theoretical analysis has been conducted of the phenomenon of loneliness and coping strategies as defined and described in the humanities; the methodology of the research has been substantiated, and the characteristic features of the respondents have been analysed. Based on a statistical analysis of possible loneliness factors and responses to stress, the relationship between socio-demographic and socio-economic variables and stress coping styles has been examined; the link between the feeling of loneliness and stress coping styles has been studied; the hypotheses that the existential face will be predominant among the other faces of loneliness and that war refugees are characterized by differentiated stress-coping styles have been verified. It has been proven that the existential loneliness rate is significantly higher than that of social and emotional loneliness, that is, the dominant face of loneliness is the existential one. As regards the positive statistically significant correlation, it has been found primarily between active and productive/semi-productive coping strategies: the intensity of the task-oriented style differs significantly from that of the emotion-focused and the avoidance-oriented styles. The research data show that the task-oriented style prevails among refugees. The obtained findings necessitated the development of a loneliness and stress coping training program, consisting of 10 sessions, and its implementation in working with war refugees in order to teach them constructive strategies and techniques for coping with stress and the feeling of loneliness under the conditions of reintegration.

Exploring Climate Migration and Environmental Security: Türkiye to America and Beyond

Since all three books were published in 2023, they are foremost among the works that will be useful for those interested in this topic, as they are up-to-date and address current issues on the relationship between climate change, forced migration, and environmental security. Many studies conducted around the world reveal that the effects of climate change will become much more visible both in the world and in Türkiye, especially in the next decade, and that the lives of millions of people will be directly negatively affected. For this reason, it is important to conduct qualitative and quantitative studies on what awaits Türkiye in terms of climate-related risks, especially in terms of migration.

The problem of loneliness and stress coping styles among war refugees in the context of their life experience (based on a study conducted in Drohobych)

This article presents the findings of an empirical study of the feeling of loneliness experienced by war refugees relocated to Drohobych, and the stress coping styles they use. The study included a theoretical analysis of available materials on the issue of loneliness and stress coping styles. The conducted analysis has shown that the problem of loneliness is widely described and interpreted from different aspects in literature on psychology. According to the sources, the problem is complex and there is no unambiguous solution to it. The phenomenon of loneliness is examined from the standpoint of numerous conceptual approaches. However, there is rather little research into the subject of loneliness experienced by war refugees in Ukraine and its connection with the stress coping styles they use. The aim of the study was to identify the specific manifestations of loneliness, in particular its three aspects: the social, emotional, and existential ones, and also its relationship with the stress coping styles used by forced migrants living in the territory of Drohobych and the Drohobych district. The above phenomena were analysed using the following psychodiagnostic tools: a short scale for measuring loneliness (SBS-AD), developed by Z. Dołęga; the Coping Inventory for Stressful Situations (CISS), developed by N. S. Endler and J. D. A. Parker, in the Polish adaptation of P. Shchepanik, Ya. Strelau, and K. Wrzeshnevsky (P. Szczepanik, J. Strelau, K. Wrześniewski); an original questionnaire, specifically developed for the needs of the research. The findings of the study of the theoretical and methodological aspects of the issue and the conducted empirical research have confirmed the hypothesis that loneliness experienced by war refugees has an existential face and is related to their stress coping styles. It has been found that the task-oriented style dominates among war refugees. The research has shown that the problem of loneliness and the related stress coping styles requires further study, while the research findings should be implemented in the provision of psychological help to war refugees.

ISSUES OF INTERNALLY DISPLACED PERSONS: A BRIEF RESPONSE OF INDIA

The astounding numbers of 47 million new internal displacements tell a harrowing tale as the planet grapples with conflicts and disasters," stated Ugochi Daniels, deputy director general of the International Organization for Migration (IOM). "This report is a stark reminder of the urgent and coordinated need to expand disaster risk reduction, support peacebuilding, ensure the protection of human rights and whenever possible, prevent the displacement before it happens.

‘Living between here and there’: Trans-local coping with urban marginality among internally displaced persons in urban Ethiopia

ABSTRACT Internally displaced persons (IDPs) in urban areas experience spatial, social and symbolic marginality because of interactions between the processes of displacement and the socio-spatial contexts in which they are relocated. While an increasing body of research has highlighted the agentic possibilities of urban margins, little is known about IDPs’ coping practices beyond the urban contexts that produce their marginality. Drawing on a qualitative study in two urban settlements in Ethiopia, this paper disentangles how trans-local practices of mobilities, connections and attachment, and the circulation of resources support IDPs in coping with disadvantages in urban settings. The findings show first, that constellations of mobilities across different nodal places constitute strategies to diversify the sources of livelihood thereby coping with the effects of spatial disadvantages. Second that, that trans-local connection and attachment preserves a sense of belonging to trans-local ‘homes’ and acts as a symbolic resource against the processes of exclusion and othering. Third, that the trans-local social network facilitates the exchange of material and intangible resources, and expands IDPs’ employment opportunities and social relations. This study contributes to our understanding of forced migrants’ agency to transform places and produce fluid lived spaces to reduce the impact of marginalization in relocation contexts.

Emigration from Ukraine to Germany in the Context of the Russian-Ukrainian War

A new topic is submitted in the article, namely the study of changes in the social structure of modern Ukrainian society, in particular, forced migration processes in Ukraine and abroad, caused by the active phase of the Russian-Ukrainian war started on February 24, 2022. The adaptation mechanisms in Germany, where the second in number largest group of the forced migrants stay are considered in the work. The main issues include granting a residence permit in Germany with refugee status, state support, housing, material and medical assistance, educational services, employment, etc. Also the activities of Ukrainian public organizations in FRG, in particular diplomatic, confessional, volunteer, scouting, etc. are described. The paper is aimed at the conducting an analytical ethnological study of socio-cultural aspects, systematization of the statistical data on the emigration of the population from Ukraine to Germany from various sources (scientific literature, Internet resources, mass media, own field notes and illustrative materials from the participants of these processes, etc.). The main researcher’s attention is paid to the adaptation period of the war refugees, their adjustment to the new realities of life in Germany and the negative consequences of migration processes for Ukraine, both demographic, economic and ethnopolitical, ethnocultural. The emigration problem is extremely important and sensitive for modern society, requiring constant statistical updates, analysis and generalisation, therefore its relevance is obvious and timely. The general scientific methods and special ethnological ones are used in the study: system analysis, synthesis, induction, deduction, classification (to reveal the subject of the article, structure it and summarise information in a single semantic wholeness). Interviews and audio recording of field material are used among the special methods (to replenish the factual base and clarify the current state of the problem). The method of critical discourse analysis has been used to analyse the interview texts. It provides the most complete picture of the migrant’s condition and adaptation in foreign and unusual surroundings. The scientific novelty of the submitted topic lies in the generalised analysis of statistical and demographic data on the scale of forced emigration of Ukrainians, which has and will continue to have a negative impact on the gene pool of our country.

Lithuanian Diaspora in Uruguay During the Beginning of the Cold War

This article studies the problems behind the involvement of the Lithuanian diaspora of Uruguay in the political processes at the beginning of the Cold War (second half of the 1940s – early 1950s). The author considers the history of the formation of the Lithuanian diaspora in the South American country starting from the later period of the Russian Empire and its status in the interwar period in the context of the development of the Lithuanian statehood. Additionally, the article describes the emergence and solution of the problem of refugees and displaced persons after World War II in the international context. It is noted that the refugees and displaced persons were mostly representatives of the Soviet Union (including the Baltic states that became part of the USSR in 1940), Poland, Yugoslavia, and other countries of Eastern Europe. The study proves that in the new historical conditions, there was a change in the social composition of the Lithuanian emigration of Uruguay, which was replenished with political opponents of the Soviet regime, collaborators fleeing retribution, and “Westerners” (defectors). Formed as a result of a global conflict and a new system of international relations, this type of diasporas was called “communities of exiles”, “exiled communities”, or “political diasporas”. The politicised nature of such diasporas, which included post-war Lithuanian emigration to Uruguay, led to its participation in the information confrontation with the USSR in the framework of the Cold War that had begun. In this regard, the author examines the attitude of the Uruguayan authorities to the “emigration governments of the Baltic countries”, and, more particularly, the so-called “Lithuanian government” headed by Mykolas Krupavičius in the USA and his “mission” headed by Kazimiro Grauzhinis in Uruguay. The specifics of the situation with the problems of repatriation in the USSR, which is revealed using materials from the Archive of Foreign Policy of the Russian Federation and emigration periodicals, showed the reaction of the Soviet leadership to the position of Uruguay in relation to Soviet displaced persons (including within the new borders). The author concludes that in the context of intra-diaspora splits, immediately after the war, the nationalist-minded part of the Lithuanian emigration was an active participant of all anti-Soviet campaigns, using finances and all possible information resources for this (primarily, the United States). Hence, the unconditional orientation towards Washington of this part of the diasporas, including the Lithuanian one, which was called upon to sow anti-Russian sentiments and support the negative image of the USSR in the public opinion of the West, becomes obvious and logical.

Results of mental health screening of children who were forced to leave Ukraine in 2022

Background. As a result of Russian aggression, many citizens of Ukraine are forced to migrate to safe countries. Since the beginning of the war, more than 17 million people have left Ukraine. During the war, the population is exposed to a constant stress factor that is not homogeneous. For some people, this is due to being in the war zone, exposure to shelling, and staying in shelters. For others, it is caused by forced migration, separation from family, and difficult adaptation to a new social environment. The most vulnerable category is children and adolescents. Among children and adolescents who are forced to seek refuge in foreign countries, the most common post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Purpose – analysis of the mental state and risk of PTSD in children and adolescents who were forced to leave Ukraine during the war. Materials and Methods. We studied 50 children aged 8 to 17 years (mean age: 11.2±2.4) who had left for European countries after the outbreak of the armed conflict in Ukraine. Results. The median total score of the PTSST was 19 points [QR 15; 23]; 42.0±6.9% of respondents were at high risk of developing post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSST score ≥ 21); 44.0±7.1% of children had an average risk of developing PTSD (PTSST from 10 to 20), 14.0±4.9% had a low level of traumatic childhood stress (PTSST ≤ 10). Thus, 86% of children had significant psychological manifestations that will require specialist consultation and qualified assistance. When analysing the degree of childhood traumatic stress depending on the child’s age, it was found that children aged 7–10 years were significantly more at risk of developing PTSD, which highlights the vulnerability of this period of life. Conclusions. According to the survey, children undergo significant changes in their mental state, even when they travel abroad and stay in safe conditions. Children aged 7 to 10 were the most sensitive to the impact of stress factors and the risk of developing PTSD. The interdependence of parental influence and the state of children’s mental health, which was determined by the educational level of parents, was established.

Soviet Repatriation in Postwar Politics and Private Life: Pro et Contra

This article studies the Soviet repatriation policy after the Second World War referring to Soviet repatriation mission officers’ correspondence with the United Nations Relief and Reconstruction Administration (UNRRA), as well as Russian DPs’ ego-documents. The authors of the article raise the question about the fact that Soviet repatriation policy sparked an information war in the media in the second half of the 1940s, which has never been done by researchers previously. A variety of sources are used in the work, including the Hoover Institution for War, Revolution and Peace (Stanford, USA), the Bakhmetev Archives of Russian and Eastern European Culture at Columbia University (New York, USA), the State Archives of the Russian Federation (GARF, Moscow), as well as the UN Archive. The authors argue that discussions of Soviet repatriation policy should be placed within the context of the Cold War era, which began with the breakup of the Big Three alliance. The Soviet government used a variety of information, political, and intellectual resources to ensure the return of the maximum possible number of USSR citizens to their homeland. In this paper, the authors demonstrate that for the purposes of counterpropaganda, the anti-communist forces used the idea of repatriation by utilizing the potential of displaced people who had survived the Stalinist repression of the 1930s to oppose the existing political regime in the USSR. Considerable attention is paid to the position of UNRRA officials, primarily the heads of its mission in Austria. Several of them were highly critical of the activities of the Soviet repatriation authorities, believing that their behaviour often failed to help displaced people become interested in returning home.

Socio-Economic Impact on Host Communities in Adamawa and Borno States, Nigeria

The Boko Haram insurgency in Nigeria has become a protracted war characterised by humanitarian and socioeconomic consequences for the survivors due to displacements that rendered many people refugees in Niger, Chad, and Cameroon while internally displacing several people across state capitals and environs. Thus affecting the livelihood condition of the survivors as well as striking negatively on Nigeria’s national development. The paper utilised both primary and secondary sources of data collection as methodology. Primary data were sourced from key informant interviews (KII) and focus group discussions (FGD) with major stakeholders in the state capitals of Maiduguri and Yola, which served as host to most of the displaced persons. Secondary data were also sourced through content analysis of relevant archival materials while relying on state fragility theory as the theoretical framework of the study. It was argued that the displacement of many inhabitants away from their abode negatively affected the socioeconomic well-being of the people and human security in Maiduguri and Yola, the state capitals of Adamawa and Borno States. The study recommends that the federal and state governments, as well as private individuals and other philanthropists, should increase their level of intervention and support for the survivors of insurgencies by providing food supplies in addition to shelter for them in Maiduguri and Yola. It further recommends that the Nigerian government expedite action on the resettlement of the survivors by securing their communities with early warning, detection, and response commands. This will give room for genuine reconstruction and resettlement of IDPs in their localities, thereby reducing the pressure on existing infrastructure and lowering the cost of living in the cities of Maiduguri and Yola

“Syrian second wives”: Polygyny, gender relations, and the experiences of Syrian and Turkish women

Although banned in Turkey in 1926, the number of cases of polygyny has increased in the country as a result of forced migration from Syria. This patriarchal practice, which exposes women to violence before and during marriage, deepens gender inequality. This article seeks to better understand the experiences of women involved in polygynous marriages initiated by Turkish men, and to make gender-based violence visible. It relies on interviews with Turkish and Syrian women part of the same households located in three Turkish provinces bordering Syria. We found that both Turkish and Syrian women experience violence in polygyny, and that their different legal status and the validity of their marriages shape the experiences and demands of these two groups of women.

The Kashmiri Pandits’ 1990s exodus: An interview with Siddhartha Gigoo

ABSTRACT In this interview, Indian multi-genre author and documentary film-maker Siddhartha Gigoo describes the alienation and trauma experienced by Kashmiri Pandits following their exodus from Kashmir in the 1990s. The interview explores the insurgency in Kashmir, which led to the exile of the Kashmiri Pandits, referring to his 2010 novel, The Garden of Solitude. Gigoo elaborates on the challenges faced by Kashmiri Pandits post-migration in an alien land, where they struggled for food and shelter in the camps and as one-room tenants while also bearing the traumatic past as a heavy load. He discusses the growing sense of insecurity which the Kashmiri Pandits endured as a disconcerting consequence of forced migration and genocide. Underscoring their silent trauma, which had a deep impact on their physical and mental health, he concludes that after 33 years of exile, Kashmiri Pandits still cling to the hope of returning to their homeland.

Limiting Social Assistance under the EU Temporary Protection Directive to Displaced Persons Working Remotely for the Public Administration of Their Country of Origin

This research focuses on the legal situation of displaced persons who benefit from Directive 2001/55/EC regulating the EU temporary protection mechanism. This law can be activated in the case of mass influx of persons in need of international protection. A displaced person (unlike a refugee) can work remotely for the authorities of their country of origin, although this should be verified individually. Thanks to this, the financial benefits from this type of work can be taken into account by the country of residence of the displaced person when determining the level of social assistance granted to that person under Directive 2001/55/EC.

Perceptions and Experiences of Psychotherapy Among Forced Migrants With Limited English Proficiency

This qualitative study focused on the perspectives of forced migrants’ and their pursuit of mental health services, specifically as they relate to language use in therapy. Semistructured interviews were held during two face-to-face focus groups consisting of 16 adult participants identifying as forced migrants. Analysis of translated and transcribed interviews was conducted by a research team utilizing a constructivist approach to grounded theory. A substantive theoretical model on engagement in therapy emerged, with the core category of culture, which influences forced migrants’ level of trust and mistrust in psychotherapy. Multiple factors, including perceptions of therapy and English language facility, impacted forced migrants’ willingness to engage in psychotherapy. Findings supported language as a barrier to psychotherapy, even when an interpreter was utilized. Consistencies and inconsistencies of findings between the present study and existing literature were offered. Clinical, training, advocacy, and research implications of this study were explored.