Refugees and asylum seekers

• A refugee is someone who has a well-founded fear of persecution because of their race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group or political opinion. It makes no difference if a refugee is rich or poor, or how they arrive in Australia: what matters is that they are at risk of, or have experienced, persecution.
  • An asylum seeker is a person who has sought protection as a refugee, but whose claim for refugee status has not yet been assessed. Australia is required under the refugee convention to provide asylum seekers with an opportunity to seek protection, regardless of whether they have entered Australia with or without a valid visa.
• It is a human right to seek freedom from persecution in other countries. This right is set out in international law.
  • Some (but not all) refugees may have mental health problems based on their previous experience of loss and trauma and sometimes related to how they are treated when they arrive Australia.
  • Prompt and appropriate mental health care is critical to ensure that any psychological issues are resolved. It is also critical that the process for handling asylum seekers does not create mental illness with long term consequences for the individual and the community.
• There is overwhelming evidence that detention is damaging to mental health, over and above any pre-existing illness or trauma. This effect is worse when the detention is offshore and in remote locations where there is little or no mental health or other legal, medical or language support.
• In general, detention is only acceptable if it is brief, absolutely necessary, and used when all other options have been exhausted.
• Further harm to mental health is caused when asylum seekers are issued with temporary visas, endure prolonged refugee assessments or are given limited access to support, work opportunities or services.
• The way refugees and refugee issues are depicted in the media impacts on refugees. It is important that positive and accurate stories are reflected, and that myths and negative stereotypes around refugees and asylum seekers are challenged.

Many Australians are concerned about the treatment of refugees and asylum seekers. There are many ways of getting involved to both support refugees and advocate for their just treatment, including:

• staying informed and getting the facts on refugee issues http://www.refugeecouncil.org.au/get-facts/
• joining a refugee advocacy or support organisation
• volunteering your time with a refugee support organisation
• taking action and support a refugee campaign to help a fair and just environment for refugees in Australia
• lobbying the Federal Government for fairer refugee policies
• calling for accurate representation of refugee issues in the media
• combatting myths and negative stereotypes around refugees and asylum seekers through conversations with family, friends and work colleagues supporting refugees in the community or visit those in detention
• donating to a refugee organisation or campaign.

• Australian Psychological Society. (2008). Psychological Wellbeing of Refugees Resettling in Australia: A Literature Review. Melbourne, Author.

• Bronstein, I. & Montgomery, P. (2011). Psychological distress in refugee children: a systematic review. Clinical Child & Family Psychological Review, 14(1), 44-56.

• Green J, P. & Eagar, K. (2010). The health of people in Australian immigration detention centres. Medical Journal of Australia, 192, 65–70.

• Robjant, K., Robbins, I., & Senior, V. (2009). Psychological distress amongst immigration detainees: A cross-sectional questionnaire study. British Journal of Clinical Psychology, 48: 275-286.

• Young P. (2014). Mental health screening and outcome measures in immigration detention. Presented at The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists’ annual congress, 13 May 2014.