Quality of Memory: Impact on Refugee Hearing Decisions.

Abstract

This is a preliminarily study examining the relationship between quality of memory and refugee hearing decisions. It relies on self-reports from seven refugee claimants who were denied convention refugee status, from five convention refugees, and from reading seven negative panel decisions for refugee claimants exhibiting posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Out of seven participants, four reported that they had experienced torture; seven had witnessed the death of friends or family members; two declared that they had illegally travelled by sea under inhumane conditions; and two reported that they had been raped. Four participants said that they still experience nightmares related to past traumatic experiences. Five participants said they often experience recurring thoughts reminding them of what happened. Six reported having problems with sleeping, anxiety, and also forgetting a lot about their experiences. Results echo previous studies on default memory in traumatized persons. However, further investigation is needed to understand better the impact of PTSD on refugee claimant credibility. Findings also indicate that there is a need for refugee hearing judges to be trained to recognize the emotional suffering of refugee claimants.

Asylum claims and memory of trauma: sharing our knowledge

“…Masinda (2004) analysed a series of seven negative asylum decisions on refugees exhibiting PTSD, comparing judicial determinations with clinical and research findings on memory. Herlihy et al (2002) interviewed on two occasions refugees granted asylum as a group by the United Nations and found inconsistency between their accounts on the two occasions.…”

To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield: Narratives on the road to asylum

“…However, avoidance symptoms were also found to decrease following interviews. While exposure to memories of traumatic events is an effective treatment approach for PTSD, exposing individuals to their traumata triggers in a legal setting can retraumatise the individual – particularly when the procedure is adversarial or may result in refoulement (Masinda, 2004). Furthermore, trauma reactivation impacts on memory networks, making it difficult for the individual to give a coherent, consistent account of their narrative, which is critical if decision-makers are to accept the asylum claim (Herlihy & Turner, 2007).…”

Posttraumatic Psychological Distress and Resettlement: The Need for a Different Practice in Assisting Refugee Families

“…Feelings of insecurity are worsened by the precariousness of their status and the often-negative social perceptions directed toward them (Health & Welfare Canada, 1988). Immigration and citizenship procedures have also been documented as key stressors for refugees (Fenta, Hyman, & Noh, 2004;Lacroix, 2004Lacroix, , 2006Lindencrona, Ekblad, & Hauff, 2008;Masinda, 2004;Wong et al, 2006). Increasingly, studies analyze the intersection of these elements with other sociopolitical factors.…”

“…More importantly for social workers, studies increasingly associate PTSD, comorbid depression, and psychological distress in refugee populations (see Momartin, Silove, Manicavasagar, & Steel, 2004) with insecure environments, emotional and cognitive turmoil related to the experience of forced migration, postmigration conditions (e.g., adapting to new living conditions in countries of asylum or resettlement), and structural stressors such as problematic and complex refugee determination processes (Gerritsen et al, 2006;Hauff & Vaglum, 1995;Lacroix, 2006;Masinda, 2004;Rousseau, Crepeau, Foxen, & Houle, 2002). Refugees and asylum seekers are affected not only by premigration traumatic events, but also by the changed circumstances of their lives that may compound this situation, thus creating a cumulative effect on their ability to cope with resettlement processes.…”