Upon arrival she was only 16 years old. Her mother had passed away as a result of a fatal neurological disorder, she doesn’t know who her real father is and after a decade of cruel detention in her home country of Burundi there was only one option – to escape, and escape she did.
Lana is one of an estimated 5,500 lone asylum refugees living here in the United Kingdom – their destination in a quest for protection and shelter from danger. However, upon arrival in the country she felt extremely lonely, shocked and confused, while suffering from a number of health problems and unable to access the help she needed. This is not unusual.
British scientists have for the first time conducted an investigation comparing the post-war experiences of lone asylum-seeking children with those that had been accompanied. Their results recently published in the Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry.
The team of scientists, from Imperial College London, found that the solitary asylum-seeking children were at a significantly greater risk of developing a range of mental health problems, increasing the likelihood of unpleasant experiences, such as frightful flashbacks and nightmares, compared with their accompanied peers. Many more of the lone children were found to have been involved in combat, having experienced torture of some kind as well as having been imprisoned. As a result more than half of the male and nearly three quarters of the female lone asylum seekers were found to have a high risk of developing post traumatic stress disorder – these figures being significantly higher than that of the male and female accompanied refugees, which were around 14% and 35% respectively.
Dr Matthew Hodes, lead author of the study from the Division of Neuroscience and Mental Health at Imperial, explained how the work was “also the first to clearly relate the associated psychological distress to quality of care, reflected in living arrangements.”
These unaccompanied asylum seeking children have been sent away from their families or made to flee as a consequence of persecution, violence and war. Those aged between 16 and 18 are in most instances placed in bed and breakfast accommodation whereas those of a younger age are entered into a more supportive care system, including foster families and children’s homes. It is in the monitored environments where appropriate treatment can be administered.
Tim Spafford is a freelance refugee education consultant and who has provided consultancy support to schools and local authorities across the UK since 2003. Mr Spafford explained how the study’s “findings support what many practitioners in the field know; unaccompanied asylum-seeking children and young people have experienced enormous stresses and risks. The losses they have endured and the lack of a caring, nurturing and safe environment in the UK means they can at times suffer poor mental health…the research demands renewed scrutiny of the care arrangements provided” for these individuals.
Dr Hodes emphasised the importance of his research clarifying how “the findings are significant as they indicate that the legal claims for asylum of the unaccompanied children should be taken very seriously. From a health perspective, they illustrate the importance of assessing physical health in this group as many had been tortured or in combat and injured. They highlight the psychological difficulties and importance of high-support living arrangements.”
Spafford expressed further his concerns describing how “the research findings serve as a warning to those working in education that the legal processes [associated with seeking asylum] can increase the refugee’s fear of, and preoccupation with, the persecution they have experienced. The new Home Office reforms emphasise a ‘twin track’ approach, engaging schools and colleges in preparing the unaccompanied asylum-seeking children for possible return to their country of origin. This may significantly increase anxiety and undermine learning and security.”
This novel study powerfully illustrates the importance of supporting those that seek asylum. Children arriving in the UK often have a past filled with terrible experiences. It is a necessity to reduce their vulnerability and sense of isolation. It is crucial to help them acquire a sense of self allowing them to integrate into society. Admittedly, monitored living arrangements are a costly alternative for the local authorities. However, it seems that they provide the support so crucially needed in order for the thousands of children who have no choice but to escape and flee for safety in their search for protection, shelter and a better quality of life.
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