Number Of Asylum Seekers Research Articles

The psychological impact of torture and state repression in Türkiye between 2015 and 2018: Reports from Turkish refugees seeking asylum in Germany.

Torture seeks to undermine not only the physical and emotional well-being of an individual, but to damage the coherence of entire communities. Thus, torture and state repression are used to weaken entire subpopulations. After the failed coup d'état in Türkiye in 2016 and during the subsequently following state of emergency that lasted until 2018, allegations of torture and other degrading treatment in Türkiye spread widely. Since then, the number of asylum-seekers in Germany has risen considerably. This paper analyses the reports of twenty Turkish citizens that fled to Germany to seek asylum in the aftermath of the events. In semi-structured interviews held in Turkish, we assessed the experiences of torture and state repression, psychological consequences, and the current well-being and living situation. All interviewees described illicit violence of state authorities and government supporters, especially while under arrest. Though the methods varied, there was a constant pattern of imbalance of power. The psychological impact of these methods were present after relocation to Germany and included signs of PTSD, anxiety disorders, and major depression. The reports of torture, state repression, and their psychological impact emphasise the importance for policy makers to address the prevention of human rights violations and support the needs of survivors.

The Change Created By Syrian Asylum Seekers in Health and Nursing Services Provided in Hospitals: A Qualitative Study

This study aims at determining the change created by Syrian asylum seekers, who came to Turkey due to the Syrian war, in the health and nursing services provided in hospitals located in Turkey’s border region. This qualitative research was conducted with 68 nurses who provided treatment and care services for Syrian asylum seekers during intense periods of the Syrian war. Data was collected with the semi-structured in-depth individual interview form and the content analysis method. Seven subthemes were determined under two main themes: Physical structure, hospital equipment, and the change caused by the general health services offered by the hospital are the subthemes under the main theme ‘change in healthcare’; and the inability to nursing process, lack of resources, failure to ensure patient safety, failure to ensure employee safety, and problems regarding working conditions are the subthemes under the main theme ‘change in nursing services’. Since this is the first study on this subject in Turkey, there is a need for more comprehensive studies on the subject that examine different professional groups. The numbers of asylum seekers throughout the world is increasing every day. Therefore, determining how asylum seekers have made a change in health and nursing services may be useful in terms of the possible measures and improvements to be taken in migration situations.

Refugee Policy in Romania

Romania is currently facing a high influx in the number of Asylum seekers and refugees, but significantly minimized Knowledge available on the policy framework and care arrangements for the Refugees in Romania over the integration policy confined the people displayed the need for international protection. This particular scientific paper addresses the Romanian Refugee policy while illustrating the gaps and cores of this policy in the political dimension utilizing scholarly literature

Cost of care for asylum seekers and refugees entering the United States: The case of volunteer medical providers in El Paso, Texas.

Between October 2018, and February 2020, the United States saw an unprecedented increase in the number of asylum seekers and refugees arriving unexpectedly at international crossings along the US-Mexico Border. Many of these migrants needed proper medical attention, and consequently created significant pressure on local health systems. In El Paso, Texas, volunteer clinicians, collaborating closely with religious organizations and non-governmental organizations, provided outpatient medical care for the new arrivals; the county hospital provided in-patient care at local tax payers' expense. The objective of this study was to estimate costs of healthcare services offered by these volunteers in order to formulate sustainable and appropriate healthcare policies to address the needs of refugees and asylum seekers in the United States. A mixed methods approach was used including personal interviews with stakeholders, and follow up surveys with volunteer clinicians. The cost analysis was done from the payer perspective using Medicaid reimbursement rates. Total costs of care provided to asylum seekers and refugees varied between $1.9MM to $4.4MM during the study period. The number of patient visits was estimated at 15,736 to 19,236, and cost per patient ranged between $99 and $281. Most common conditions treated by volunteer providers were abdominal pain, dermatological conditions, headaches, dehydration and hypertension. This is the first study looking at the cost of healthcare for refugees and asylum seekers provided by volunteer clinicians, in a binational context. The resources invested by volunteer providers were significant, and essential to meet medical needs of migrant populations. Without appropriate financial support, a strategy relying on volunteer and local community resources will prove unsustainable in the long term. Findings from this study will help formulate federal and local policies to support local health systems along the US-Mexico Border in providing care to future migrations into the United States.

The general health status of newly arrived asylum seekers in Denmark.

The number of asylum seekers in Europe is increasing and is likely to do so continuously due to conflicts, poverty and climate. Asylum seekers are exposed to many health risk factors related to their migration process and this study aimed to explore their general health status on arrival at an immigration country. A retrospective study including 1907 general health assessments (GHAs) of adult asylum seekers arriving in Denmark between 1 September 2017 and 31 December 2019 was undertaken. The GHA is offered to all adult asylum seekers as part of the health-care reception programme. Only asylum seekers who attended the GHA within 1 month of their arrival in Denmark were included. Data comprised sociodemographic factors, health outcomes, and indication of exposure to trauma and torture. Data were described by absolute and relative frequencies, means and through regression analyses. The majority of asylum seekers were male (58.6%) of Middle Eastern origin with a mean age of 33.6 years (SD = 12.1). More than half (60.1%) of the participants had one or more physical health complaints, whereas mental health complaints were less frequent (25.0%). Asylum seekers, who had been exposed to trauma were more likely to have physical health complaints (OR 1.52, 95% CI 1.22;1.89) and to have symptoms of mental health problems (OR 12.71, 95% CI 8.76;18.45). These complaints were substantially elevated for survivors of torture. This relatively high prevalence of health complaints, both physical and mental, emphasises the necessity of providing appropriate and timely health care from the very beginning of the asylum process.

Effects of a 10-Week Physical Activity Intervention on Asylum Seekers' Physiological Health.

Introduction: The rise in armed conflicts has contributed to an increase in the number of asylum seekers. Prolonged asylum processes may negatively affect asylum seekers’ health and lead to inactivity. Studies show that physical activity interventions are associated with improvements in health outcomes. However, there are a limited number of studies investigating the associations of physical activity on asylum seekers’ health. Methods: Participants (263 males and 204 females), mostly from Syria, were assessed before and after a 10-week intervention for VO2 max, body mass index (BMI), skeletal muscle mass (SMM), body fat, and visceral fat. Linear mixed models were used to test differences within groups, and a linear regression model analysis was performed to test whether physiological variables predicted adherence. Results: Participants’ VO2 max increased: males by 2.96 mL/min/kg and females 2.57 mL/min/kg. Increased SMM percentages were seen in both genders: females by 0.38% and males 0.23%. Visceral fat area decreased: males by 0.73 cm2 and females 5.44 cm2. Conclusions: Participants showed significant increases in VO2 max and SMM and decreased visceral fat. This study provides an insight into asylum seekers’ health and serves as a starting point to new interventions in which physical activity is used as a tool to promote and improve vulnerable populations’ health.

The Baltics Countries as New Directions of Migration from Belarus, Kazakhstan, Moldova and Tajikistan

The Baltic countries simultaneously act as a region of origin, destination and transit of migrants. The main flows of immigrants in these countries are formed from citizens of post-Soviet countries. The article attempts to comprehensively consider the process of population migration from Belarus, Kazakhstan, Moldova and Tajikistan to the Baltic countries. This topic is not sufficiently reflected in the scientific bibliography, despite the fact that in recent years there has been a tendency for an increase in the flow of migrants from these countries towards the Baltic countries. The migration of the population to the Baltic countries is due to the traditional push and pull factors that are characteristic of the migration movements of the population of the countries under study. The main push motive for migration movements to the Baltic countries is economic reasons, despite the fact that in recent years migration has also been caused by political factors. Based on the statistical data of the Eurostat portal, the types and trends of migration are described. These are: the rapid growth of immigrants from the studied countries to the Baltic countries (especially in Lithuania), low opportunities for immigrants to acquire citizenship, the Baltic countries attracting students from the studied countries (especially Lithuania), an increase in the number of asylum seekers. The intensity of the migration process of the considered countries with the Baltic countries depends on several factors. These are the population size of both sending and receiving countries, the distance between countries, the political and socio-economic situation in the sending countries, the immigration policy of the receiving countries, and the state of bilateral relations between the Baltic countries and the considered countries. The governments of the Baltic States generally pursue a restrained migration policy. The adaptation of migrants from Belarus, Kazakhstan, Moldova and Tajikistan to the Baltic countries have similar features and are associated with the common historical past of these countries within the Soviet Union, the knowledge of the local population of the Russian language and the residence of Russian-speaking diasporas from the post-Soviet countries in the Baltic countries. The results of the study will be useful to public authorities implementing migration policy in both sending and receiving countries.

Sociodemographic Patterns of Pediatric Patients in Specialized Burn Care in Sweden.

Background:Trauma is a leading cause of mortality in children. Burns affect children disproportionally. Although burn incidence and mortality are decreasing, differences in the risk depend on socioeconomic status. The present study aimed to investigate the sociodemographic patterns of pediatric patients (0–17 years) managed at the two burn centers in Sweden, Uppsala, and Linköping, between 2010 and 2020.Method:This retrospective register-based study used hospital records from the two burn centers combined with information from Statistics Sweden plus data regarding number of asylum seekers from the Swedish Migrations Agency. Choropleth maps representing the patients’ geographical distribution were created. Information about income levels per geographic area was added. A Wilcoxon signed-rank test was performed to investigate differences in median income levels between the areas where the patients lived, related to Sweden’s median income.Results:The study included 2455 patients. Most of the children aged below 5 years (76%) and were boys (60%). The mean percentage of total skin area was 4.2%. There was no significant increment or decrease in the incidence of pediatric burns during the study. Most patients with recorded zip codes lived in areas with an income level below the national median (n = 1974, 83%). Children with asylum status were over-represented compared with residents and/or Swedish citizens.Conclusions:In Sweden, most pediatric burns occur in families that live in areas with low-income levels. Pediatric burns affect children with asylum status disproportionally compared with those who are residents in and/or citizens of Sweden. Prevention strategies should be designed and implemented to alleviate this health inequity.

Jobs, Crime and Votes: A Short‐run Evaluation of the Refugee Crisis in Germany

Millions of refugees made their way to Europe between 2014 and 2015, with over one million arriving in Germany alone. Yet little is known about the impact of this inflow on labour markets, crime and voting behaviour. This paper uses administrative data on asylum seeker allocation and provides an evaluation of the short‐run consequences of the refugee inflow. Our identification strategy exploits the fact that a scramble for accommodation determined the assignment of asylum seekers to German counties, resulting in exogenous variation in the number of asylum seekers per county within and across states. Our estimates suggest that those migrants have not displaced native workers but have themselves struggled to find gainful employment. We find moderate increases in crime, and our analysis further indicates that while at the macro level increased migration was accompanied by increased support for anti‐immigrant parties, exposure to asylum seekers at the micro level had a small negative effect.

Arctic Asylum

Abstract This article examines the regulation and rights of refugees and other foreigners in independent, overseas and other not fully sovereign territories. It analyses two Nordic cases, Greenland and Svalbard. Greenland is an autonomous territory within the Kingdom of Denmark, and Svalbard an unincorporated area subject to Norwegian sovereignty through the 1920 Spitsbergen Treaty. Unlike their parent states, both territories remain outside the Schengen Area. As this article highlights, both territories are subject to distinct regulatory frameworks in respect to asylum-seekers and refugees. While the number of asylum-seekers or refugees in each place is so far very limited, the regulatory differences nonetheless raise principled questions both from a rights-based perspective and at the more theoretical level. As this article argues, Greenland and Svalbard both exemplify how international law and late sovereign constructions may themselves provide for an unmooring of asylum and refugee rights within the ordinary statist framework. The effects in each case are multi-directional. On the one hand, the legal frameworks pertaining to these arctic territories provide for significantly more liberal rules in terms of access to asylum and immigration control. On the other hand, these legal bifurcations serve to upend the ordinary Nordic social contract and welfare rights owed to refugees and other aliens.

The Challenges in Balancing National Interests and Global Responsibilities in South Korea’s Refugee Policy

Abstract This study offers a critical analysis of refugee policy in the Republic of Korea (South Korea) since the national government in 2013 enacted a law intended to improve its treatment of refugees and asylum seekers and align itself more closely with the principles of the 1951 Refugee Convention. The article begins by focusing on a major controversy that arose in 2018, following the arrival of more than 500 asylum seekers from Yemen, an episode that revealed how considerable public antipathy toward refugees presents a social and cultural problem for South Korea as it charts a course for improvement of its treatment of refugees. The analysis then turns to numerous problems at the nexus of law and society that continue to plague the refugee status determination process and, in many instances, to deny basic rights to a rapidly growing number of asylum seekers in South Korea. The article concludes by showing how, despite these problems, South Korea is better positioned than many of the world’s more affluent constitutional democracies to harmonize its national interests with its responsibilities to make a meaningful contribution to ongoing global efforts to protect and accommodate refugees.

The role of physiotherapy in managing complex pain associated with trauma and torture in refugee populations

Purpose: The number of asylum seekers and refugees has been steadily increasing over the past decade, with this populating facing significant health challenges such as a high prevalence of pain. A significant reason for high chronic pain rates in this population is due trauma and torture. For example, evidence suggests that between 5% and 69% of refugee's experience trauma and torture, with the incidence of chronic pain being as high as 83% in certain populations. Chronic pain has been found to have significant effects on the quality of life of this population.

The Patient History Project: Medical Student Innovation in Improving Medical Care for Asylum Applicants

BackgroundPersons who experienced persecution in their home country may apply for asylum with the United States. This population has complex medical needs complicated by cultural and linguistic barriers. This report outlines the design and evaluation of the Patient History Project (PHxP), a collaborative program between the University of Michigan Asylum Collaborative (UMAC) and a local non-profit, Freedom House Detroit (FHD), to improve the quality of health care for asylum-seekers while training medical students to work with vulnerable populations.MethodsIn the PHxP, medical students trained by UMAC interviewed FHD residents and created electronic medical records that residents could share with subsequent medical providers. These sessions additionally provided an opportunity for asylum-seekers to rehearse health care utilization in the comfort of their home. Surveys of students and asylum-seekers, and a semi-structured interview with FHD staff, were conducted to evaluate the program’s performance on multiple dimensions.ResultsAsylum-seekers reported high levels of overall satisfaction with PHxP and increased confidence in the health care setting. Medical student volunteers reported gaining cultural sensitivity and clinical skills. FHD staff noted greater insight into resident medical needs.ConclusionsAs the number of asylum-seekers in the United States continues to rise, so will the need of specialized services including medical care. This program is one strategy to help address the medical needs of asylum-seekers. Medical schools with programs to provide forensic medical exams and affidavits for asylum-seekers would be particularly well situated for the trial of such a program.

Preventing Predatory Alienation by High-Control Groups: The Application of Human Trafficking Laws to Groups Popularly Known as Cults, & Proposed Changes to Laws Regarding Federal Immigration, State Child Marriage, & Undue Influence

In this article, I summarize some of the significant legal developments in the United States that have taken place within the past year. First, United States v. Raniere was a criminal case launched against the founder of a purported self-help organization, NXIVM, and several of his associates. The Raniere case established precedent for using the human-trafficking statutes, among other grounds, to pursue justice for victims of high-demand groups. Second, the number of asylum seekers is increasing annually, and some of these undocumented immigrants are escaping from their countries-of-origin cults, gangs, and other extremist groups. However, once they arrive in the United States, there are many statutory and court-imposed requirements for establishing asylum; lawmakers should clarify or eliminate some of these requirements in order to fulfill the original purpose of the Immigration and Nationality Act. Third, setting the minimum age for marriage would help to reduce the number of child brides who are often pressured by cults and high-control groups.Fourth, still in need of refinement is the legal theory of “undue influence,” which potentially could aid cult victims in civil lawsuits against overreaching organizations and individuals. And finally, pending in the New Jersey legislature is the Predatory Alienation Bill, which calls for ongoing public-awareness campaigns, alienation counseling, and other remedies.

Addressing the Global Migration Crisis in the Context of the Covid-19 Pandemic

The Covid-19 pandemic has aggravated pre-existing vulnerabilities faced by asylum seekers, refugees, and forcibly displaced persons. The topic of international migration has long been at the centre of global attention because of the extreme loss of life while crossing borders and the difficulty of managing large numbers of asylum seekers. International migration is arguably one of the most pressing issues of our time because of its transnational characteristic, which affects all countries across the world. Despite some concerted efforts, the international community has largely failed to provide solidarity and collective action to address the protracted global migration crisis. This article explores how the Covid-19 pandemic and subsequent health and safety measures have complicated an already vulnerable refugee system. The article also considers where some windows of opportunity for progress in the multilateral refugee protection system may lie as the international community designs efforts to build back better in a post-Covid-19 world.

Leveraging the European Refugee Crisis: Forced Displacement and Bargaining in Greece's Bailout Negotiations

AbstractHow does forced migration feature in EU member states' foreign policy and how does it affect their bargaining strategies? While the literature highlights EU‐level policies aiming to manage forced migration flows, we examine how Greece sought to leverage its response to the 2015–16 European migrant crisis. We propose a theoretical framework that explains why the SYRIZA–ANEL government sought to leverage Greece's position as a refugee‐host state via an issue​‐linkage strategy tying the management of forced migration to economic aid over the Third Economic Adjustment Programme. Initially employing a ‘blackmailing’ strategy focused on threats, Greece shifted to a ‘backscratching’ strategy of co‐operation after March 2016, once its geopolitical importance and numbers of asylum seekers within its territory were reduced. We provide the first detailed analysis of Greece's foreign policy response to the European migrant crisis, demonstrating the importance of forced displacement in the international politics of EU member states.

Is arterial switch operation possible with neonatology-focused intensive care unit modality.

Background In this study, we aimed to examine the feasibility of arterial switch operation and its perioperative management with neonatology-focused intensive care modality in a region of Turkey where the birth rate and the number of asylum seekers who had to leave their country due to regional conflicts are high. Methods Between December 2017 and June 2020, a total of 57 patients (48 males, 9 females; median age: 12.2 days; range, 2 to 50 days) who were diagnosed with transposition of the great arteries in our clinic and underwent arterial switch operation were retrospectively analyzed. All patients were followed by the neonatologist in the neonatal intensive care unit during the preoperative and postoperative period. Results Thirty-eight (66.7%) patients had intact ventricular septum, 16 (28.1%) had ventricular septal defect, two (3.5%) had coarctation of the aorta, and one (1.7%) had Taussig-Bing anomaly. Coronary artery anomaly was present in 14 (24.5%) patients. The most common complications in the intensive care unit were renal failure requiring peritoneal dialysis in seven (12.3%) patients, supraventricular tachyarrhythmia in six (10.5%) patients, and eight (14%) patients left their chests open. The median length of stay in intensive care unit was 13.8 (range, 9 to 25) days and the median length of hospital stay was 24.5 (range, 16 to 47) days. The overall mortality rate for all patients was 12.3% (n=7). The median follow-up was 8.2 months. A pulmonary valve peak Doppler gradient of ≥36 mmHg was detected in five patients (8.7%) who were followed, and these patients were monitored by providing medical treatment. None of the patients needed reoperation or reintervention. Conclusion We believe that arterial switch operation, one of the complex neonatal cardiac surgery, can be performed with an acceptable mortality and morbidity rate with the use of neonatology-focused intensive care modality, which is supported by pediatric cardiology and pediatric cardiac surgery.

Refugees in the European Union: from emergency alarmism to common management

ABSTRACT The flows of refugees have ignited the European political debate, thereby boosting nationalistic forces in almost all countries. The aim of this paper is to counterbalance a widespread view about their overall impact and show that the number of asylum seekers did not represent a ‘refugee crises’. It argues, however, that the current European Union institutions and procedures are highly insufficient to successfully manage refugee inflows and asylum requests. It is often forgotten that large number of refugees are created from conflicts initiated or not prevented by EU members themselves. Once the problem comes into existence, as the procedures based on the Dublin Convention are widely recognised as inadequate, the paper provides a few suggestions for implementing radical changes to manage refugees and asylum seekers in the EU.

The Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration and Regional Implementation Practices

Abstract The article analyzes the essence and perception of the global community of the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration, which was developed under the auspices of the UN and adopted by the member countries of this organization on December 10, 2018 in Marrakesh (Morocco). This was the first international compromise agreement between the donor and recipient countries. More than 160 states have signed the Compact, believing that it is long overdue for the international community to come to a more realistic understanding of global migration. Some countries refused to sign the Compact, including seven EU states and Ukraine. The content of the Compact is aimed at liberalizing the migration regime, which explains why it was rejected by many governments and political forces. Non-acceptance of the Compact by a number of countries that have accepted migrants reduces the potential effect of its application. However, it can be useful for improving the efficiency of legal migration, regulating the employment of skilled labor, which is of interest to the recipient countries. The crisis in the migration policy of some countries has shown that the low level of harmonization of national legislation on refugee shelter has significantly contributed to the spread of the disaster and the increase in the number of asylum seekers that the countries had to accept on their territory.

Country selection and aid allocation: A case of the Czech Republic

Research background: Donors provide development aid from various reasons: while some of them might give aid based on the recipient´s needs, some countries pursue their own agendas with their development programmes. Visegrad Group countries are mostly considered as egoistic donors that try to support security in the East European region and promote their trade. Purpose of the article: This article draws back on the existing literature that focused on the motives behind the Czech development aid and examines influence of both egoistic and altruistic variables to determine which of these variables are important for the selection of countries to the aid portfolio and the allocation of aid funds. The researched variables are: number of asylum seekers, debt to the Czech Republic, Czech exports, unemployment in the developing countries, political and civil rights, and enrolment to the secondary education. Methods: Probit-tobit analysis and a generalized linear model are employed in this paper. Findings & Value added: The results suggest that egoistic economic motives (debt and Czech exports) are important factors for both country selection and aid allocation, while the number of asylum seekers affects only the aid allocation. As per the altruistic reasons, the country selection depends on the unemployment rates, political and civil rights and the enrolment to secondary education. The aid allocation depends also on the unemployment rates, political and civil rights, and the ratio of girls enrolled to the secondary education.