Knowledge of legal rights as a factor of refugee and asylum seekers’ health status: a qualitative study

Abstract

ObjectivesTo examine health behaviours of refugees and asylum seekers, in relation to their knowledge of public benefits and legal rights.DesignQualitative study, utilising an open-ended, semi-structured interview guide to ensure information-rich data collection. Thematic content was analysed using qualitative research software.SettingParticipants were drawn from the Weill Cornell Center for Human Rights (WCCHR) in New York City, a single-center, human rights clinic with a globally representative patient population. All interviews were conducted at the Weill Cornell Medicine Clinical and Translational Science Center, a multidisciplinary space within an urban academic medical center.ParticipantsTwenty-four refugees and asylum seekers currently living in the greater New York City area. Eligible participants were 18 years of age or older and had previously sought services from the WCCHR. The recruitment rate was 55%.Primary and secondary outcome measuresThemes and concepts in participants’ health, knowledge, perceptions of and experiences with accessing healthcare and public benefits programmes.ResultsTwenty-four participants represented 18 countries of origin and 11 primary languages. Several impediments to accessing healthcare and public benefits were identified, including pragmatic barriers (such as prohibitive costs or lack of insurance), knowledge gaps and mistrust of healthcare systems.ConclusionsThere is low health engagement by refugees and asylum seekers, as a result of multiple, complex factors impeding the ability of refugee and asylum seekers to access healthcare and other public benefits for which they are eligible—with resultant detrimental health effects. However, there is an opportunity to utilise novel approaches, such as digital technologies, to communicate relevant information regarding legal rights and public benefits to advance the health of vulnerable individuals such as refugees and asylum seekers.

Use of an application on the measles vaccine for Warao indigenous refugees in Brazil

“…Typically, the Warao indigenous refugees face dangerous cross-ings and often lose important documents, such as vaccination cards, as identified in the study by Filler et al (2020) ( 20 ) . In addition to the challenges of displacement, refugees must adapt to vaccination policies in host countries ( 21 ) , facing linguistic barriers and a lack of humanization, as identified in various studies ( 22 ) . In contrast, a national survey of Bolsa Família beneficiaries showed a high rate of vaccination registration in children ( 23 ) , highlighting differences in vaccination management between adults and children.…”

Uso de um aplicativo sobre a vacina antissarampo para os indígenas Warao refugiados no Brasil

“…Geralmente, os refugiados indígenas Warao enfrentam travessias perigosas e frequentemente perdem documentos importantes, como cartões de vacina, conforme identificado no estudo de Filler et al (2020) (20) . Além dos desafios de deslocamento, os refugiados devem se adaptar às políticas de vacinação nos países de acolhimento (21) , enfrentando barreiras linguísticas e falta de humanização, como identificado em diversos estudos (22) . Em contraste, uma pesquisa nacional com beneficiários do Bolsa Família mostrou alta taxa de registro de vacinação em crianças (23) , evidenciando diferenças na gestão de vacinação entre adultos e crianças.…”

Treatments and interventions addressing chronic somatic pain in torture survivors: A systematic review

“…This is in part due to compounded trauma: experiences of war and violence; layered with acute and chronic medical conditions; layered with migration-associated trauma such as family separation, immigration detention, and deportation stress, which are common in refugee torture survivors. While the symptom burden of pain in torture survivors is significant compared to other groups with chronic pain [15][16][17], it can also be difficult to diagnose, given variable cultural beliefs and expressions about pain [18], inability of torture survivors to access healthcare [19], and confounding illness such as posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) that often eclipse the physical sequelae of torture [20]. However, emerging research demonstrates that it is possible to diagnose chronic somatic pain in torture survivors, even from a wide range of countries, to the accuracy that approaches a physical exam by a specialist pain physician [14].…”