Demographic characteristics of survivors of torture presenting for treatment to a national centre for survivors of torture in Ireland (2001–2012)

2016 ◽  
Vol 34 (2) ◽  
pp. 111-116
Author(s):  
R. M. Duffy ◽  
S. O’Sullivan ◽  
G. Straton ◽  
B. Singleton ◽  
B. D. Kelly
Keyword(s):  
Asylum Seekers ◽  
Demographic Data ◽  
Middle Eastern ◽  
Psychological Needs ◽  
African Countries ◽  
Barriers To Access ◽  
Treatment Centre ◽  
Survivors Of Torture ◽  
Refugees And Asylum Seekers ◽  
The Impact

ObjectivesThe asylum process has received a lot of recent media attention but little has been said about the psychological needs of those seeking or granted asylum. Many asylum seekers have experienced trauma and torture, which is associated with substantial psychiatric and psychological morbidity. The Spiritan Asylum Services Initiative (Spirasi) is Ireland’s national treatment centre for survivors of torture. The aim of this study was to examine the demographic profile of those attending Spirasi and to consider potential clinical implications of this.MethodsWe retrospectively analysed demographic data relating to the 2590 individuals who attended Spirasi over a 12-year period (2001–2012 inclusive).ResultsThe majority of attenders were asylum seekers (88%), male (71%) and from African countries. The mean age was 31.9 years. The rate of new referrals, as a percentage of Ireland’s asylum-seeking population, has stabilised at ~6% since 2008. Women are underrepresented among those who attend.ConclusionsThe number of new referrals to Spirasi is lower than expected given international estimates of torture prevalence and the impact this has on mental health. Clinicians working with populations of asylum seekers and refugees should sensitively enquire about such events and be aware of the available services. Female refugees and asylum seekers are underrepresented, especially from Asian and Middle Eastern regions. Psychiatric, psychological and general practice services need to respond flexibly to evolving patterns of migration and address potential barriers to access, especially among female refugees and asylum seekers.

scholarly journals STIGMA-STATISTIK: Når dagsordener sættes i dansk aids-politik

1996 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jens Seeberg
Keyword(s):  
Human Rights ◽  
Hiv Testing ◽  
Asylum Seekers ◽  
Negative Impact ◽  
Public Debate ◽  
Contact Tracing ◽  
Infected Person ◽  
African Countries ◽  
Aids Policy ◽  
The Impact

Jens Seeberg: Stigma Statistics: Agendas in the Making in Danish AIDS Policy This article explores a number of paradoxes and assumptions in the public debate on AIDS in Denmark. They form part of a recurrent attack on the Danish ‘soft line’ AIDS policy that maintains anonymity and voluntary HIV-testing. One central issue in recent years has been obligatory testing of asylum seekers from high risk areas as a precondition for considering the asylum request. Especially asylum seekers from African countries are pointed out as constituting a major threat to the native Danish population in terms of spread of HIV. This is shown to rest on a misreading of the official statistics, repeated as often as the statistics themselves. The assumption that there is a basic clash between the human rights of the HIV-infected person and the population in general is discussed. This conceived clash rests on the assumption that restrictions of the human rights of the HIV-infected person will provide efficient protection for the noninfected majority. The potential counterproductive effects of this line of thought are discussed. Contact tracing is sometimes considered as an effective preventive measure. Part of the critique of the present AIDS policy States that contact tracing is virtually non-existing and that this has a major negative impact on the preventive efforts. It is argued that while the impact of contact tracing in itself may be rather limited, the lack of contact tracing may be seen as a symptom of insufficient counselling. While obligatory HIV testing may never be practiced in Denmark, its recurrent appearance on the agenda serves to provoke a defensive stand among AIDS policy makers. It is argued that this debate has hitherto had the effect of keeping the needs of HIV-infected people - and especially HIV-infected immigrants — away from public debate and serious concern.

scholarly journals Environmental Performance and Economic Growth in Middle East and North Africa Countries

2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (24) ◽  
Author(s):  
Hichem Dkhili
Keyword(s):  
Economic Growth ◽  
Middle East ◽  
North Africa ◽  
Environmental Performance ◽  
Middle Eastern ◽  
Smooth Transition ◽  
African Countries ◽  
Mena Region ◽  
Mena Countries ◽  
The Impact

Background. Studies on environmental performance/quality and economic growth show inconclusive results. Objective. The aim of the present study is to assess the non-linear relationship between environmental performance and economic growth in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region from 2002–2018. Methods. A sample of fourteen (14) MENA countries was used in the present analysis. However, due to important differences between countries in this region, the whole sample was divided into two sub-samples; nine Middle Eastern countries (MEAS) and five North African countries (NAF). We performed the panel smooth transition regression model as an econometric approach. Discussion. Empirical results indicate a threshold effect in the environmental performance and economic growth relationship. The threshold value differs from one group of countries to another. More specifically, we found that the impact of environmental performance and economic growth is positive and significant only if a certain threshold level has been attained. Until then, the effect remains negative. Conclusions. The findings of the present study are of great importance for policymakers since they determine the optimal level of environmental performance required to act positively on the level of economic growth. MENA countries should seek to improve their environmental performance index in order to grow output. Competing Interests. The authors declare no competing financial interests.

scholarly journals The Impact of New Drug Launches on Longevity Growth in Nine Middle Eastern and African Countries, 2007–2015

2018 ◽  
Vol 14 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Frank R Lichtenberg
Keyword(s):  
Average Rate ◽  
Middle Eastern ◽  
Relative Number ◽  
Premature Mortality ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
New Drugs ◽  
African Countries ◽  
Econometric Evidence ◽  
Relative Decline ◽  
The Impact

Abstract This study provides econometric evidence about the impact that new chemical entity (NCE) launches had on premature mortality from 17 diseases in 9 Middle Eastern and African countries during the period 2007–2015. The greater the relative number of NCEs for a disease launched in a country, the greater the subsequent relative decline in premature mortality from that disease, controlling for the average rate of mortality decline in each country and from each disease. An 8-year increase in the number of post-1992 NCEs ever launched is estimated to have reduced the number of years of potential life lost before age 75 (YPLL75) in 2015 by 9.5 %. This is approximately half of the 18.9 % reduction in YPLL75, and about one-third of the 29.7 % reduction in the premature mortality rate. In the absence of 8 previous years of NCE launches, 2.80 million additional YPLL before age 75 would have been lost in 2015. Expenditure on new drugs per life-year below age 75 gained in 2015 from the drugs was $US 834. According to the standards of the WHO’s Choosing Interventions that are cost–effective project, new drugs launched in the nine ME&A countries were very cost–effective overall.

scholarly journals The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on refugees and asylum seekers in Greece: A retrospective analysis of national surveillance data from 2020

2021 ◽  
Vol 37 ◽  
pp. 100958
Author(s):  
Elias Kondilis ◽  
Dimitris Papamichail ◽  
Sophie McCann ◽  
Elspeth Carruthers ◽  
Apostolos Veizis ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Retrospective Analysis ◽  
Asylum Seekers ◽  
Surveillance Data ◽  
National Surveillance ◽  
Refugees And Asylum Seekers ◽  
The Impact

scholarly journals RESPONSE TO REFUGE ISSUES IN INDONESIAN IMMIGRATION LENS IN IMMIGRATION DETENTION HOUSES

2021 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 87-101
Author(s):  
Hana Farah Dhiba ◽  
Wahyu Eka Putra
Keyword(s):  
Armed Conflict ◽  
Asylum Seekers ◽  
Director General ◽  
Legal Research ◽  
African Countries ◽  
Refugee Status ◽  
The World ◽  
The Status ◽  
Special Concern ◽  
Refugees And Asylum Seekers

The phenomenon of refugees is one of the topics of discussion in the international world. This situation was triggered by the increasing number of refugees scattered in various countries around the world. The existence of refugees is often a special concern for countries that are both transit places and destinations. In Indonesia, tens of thousands of refugees and asylum seekers stop and live. Some of the Arab and African countries and ethnic Rohingya who are hit by armed conflict and acute poverty. They lived for years while waiting for a third country. Their existence is increasingly causing various problems in society. The research uses normative legal research methods with 7 approaches. From the research results, it can be concluded that the presence of refugees in Indonesia has been going on for decades. The refugees entered by land and sea routes to Indonesian territory. Various policies have been taken to deal with the presence of refugees from abroad, one of which is Presidential Regulation Number 125 of 2016 concerning Policies for Handling Refugees from Abroad. However, over time, the refugee status intersected with the status of illegal immigrants contained in the regulation of the Director General of Immigration. This in the future raises various problems related to the handling of refugees in Indonesia.

scholarly journals Migration, Refugees, and Racism in South Africa

Refuge ◽  
2001 ◽  
pp. 40-51 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jeff Handmaker ◽  
Jennifer Parsley
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Policy Process ◽  
General Public ◽  
Asylum Seekers ◽  
Public Awareness ◽  
The Usa ◽  
Refugees And Asylum Seekers ◽  
And Control ◽  
Social Separation ◽  
The Impact

The paper looks at South Africa’s complex history and policies of racism, social separation and control and the impact that this has had on the nature of migration and refugee policy. The paper argues that this legacy has resulted in policy and implementation that is highly racialized, coupled with a society expressing growing levels of xenophobia. Some causes and manifestations of xenophobia in South Africa are explored. It further examines how actions of police and civil servants can mirror the sentiments of the general public, further disadvantaging refugees and migrants. The outcomes of the WCAR are discussed with acknowledgment of the positive gains made for refugees and asylum seekers. The implications for implementation are debated in light of the attacks on the USA. In conclusion, a number of recommendations are made including the need for ongoing public awareness strategies, the value of the WCAR Declarations as lobbying tools, a pragmatic and democratic policy process and the need to highlight development concerns in approaches to address these issues.

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