Patterns and evidence of human rights violations among US asylum seekers
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ORIGINAL ARTICLE
Patterns and evidence of human rights violations among US asylum seekers Michael S. Miller 1 & Megan R. D’Andrea 1 & Eileen Wang 1 & Elizabeth K. Singer 1 & Kim A. Baranowski 1 Received: 14 May 2020 / Accepted: 21 August 2020 # Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature 2020
Abstract Background Asylum seekers report exposure to human rights violations associated with a range of psychological and medical sequelae. Clinical evaluators can provide forensic evaluations that document evidence associated with their reports of persecution. The aim of this study was to characterize the forms of abuse experienced by asylum seekers, the psychological consequences of abuse, and the frequency with which clinician-evaluators found evidence that corroborated asylum seekers’ reports. Method We completed a retrospective chart review of 121 asylum seekers who received pro bono medical-legal evaluations through a human rights program and analyzed data using the constant comparative method. Results Eighty-eight percent of the clients reported experiencing multiple human rights abuses. Ninety-one percent of the clients who received psychological evaluations presented with symptoms associated with depression, anxiety, or trauma and stressorrelated disorders. Clinician-evaluators found physical or psychological evidence consistent with the clients’ reports in 97% of cases. Forms, perpetrators, and psychological consequences of abuse varied significantly by gender and geographic region. Discussion Asylum seekers report diverse forms of persecution in their countries of origin that differ by gender and geographic region. Clinician-evaluators overwhelmingly found physical and psychological evidence consistent with the asylum seekers’ accounts of persecution. Keywords Asylum seekers . Human rights . Gender-based violence . Forensic evidence
Introduction Asylum seekers bear the burden of proof in demonstrating their past persecution or fear of future persecution during their application for protected immigration status [1]. Many asylum seekers have experienced torture and a wide range of exposure to violence including physical and sexual assault, threats of death or harm, and detention [2]. Because these individuals are often forced to flee their home countries under emergent and dangerous circumstances, they may not be able to provide evidence of the abuse they have endured as part of their legal claims [1]. Asylum applications may be strengthened by a forensic affidavit that includes objective documentation of the
* Kim A. Baranowski [email protected] 1
Mount Sinai Human Rights Program, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, 1 Gustave L. Levy Place, New York, NY, USA
physical and psychological sequelae of the abuse that applicants report [3]. Physicians and licensed healthcare professionals may conduct physical examinations to document evidence of ill treatment, including scars, burns, and other sequelae, and to differentiate them from non-abuse-related injuries. In addition, mental health pro
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