Nithura is 24. She was taken away from her family and imprisoned for three months, during which time she was sexually and violently abused on a regular basis. She’s now deeply traumatised, suffers continuous abdominal pain, and has recurring nightmares. 34% of women visiting our Specialist Team have been raped or subjected to sexual violence.
Murtzai fled torture in Iran, only to suffer abuse and neglect in the UK. His experiences made him deeply depressed and apathetic, and after three years of living on the streets, he felt unable to cope and took his own life. Many refugees and asylum seekers have severe mental health needs, the result of persecution and flight as well as the stress of life in a new country. The UK’s suicide statistics place asylum seekers and refugees as one of the highest-risk groups.
One young Iraqi student was arrested for handing out leaflets opposing university fees. In custody he was beaten so badly that he’s now blind and has brain damage. 20% of refugees and asylum seekers have debilitating physical health problems that make day-to-day life difficult.
In Sri Lanka, Sarath was detained by the army for two weeks, during which he was severely tortured and raped. He now suffers from depression, insomnia, a lack of appetite and headaches. Last year, over a third of people assisted by our Specialist Team had been tortured and were suffering mental and physical trauma as a result. Common torture methods include beatings, electric shocks, blindfolding, starvation, sexual violence, threats, water asphyxiation, mock execution, isolation and hanging.
NB: The names in these case studies have been changed to protect identities; photos are for representation only.
 | | In one year, our Specialist Team’s bi-cultural workers provided support for 475 refugees and asylum seekers. Donate today to help us continue this work. |
