Immigration

Surviving or bearing witness to atrocities perpetrated by governments, groups or individuals can have a profound and enduring impact on people’s mental health and psychological well-being, which can be compounded by the unfamiliar culture and immigration system they face when they arrive in the UK.

Mental health problems can, therefore, affect the capacity of people to cope with or understand the legal processes involved in obtaining leave to remain in the UK, whilst also interfering with their ability to form social relationships and integrate into a new society. Under these circumstances, deporting an individual back to their country of origin or restricting their access to appropriate care services in the UK may constitute a breach of their human rights.

Clinical Psychology Associates has specialist clinical psychologists who have considerable experience of working with refugees and asylum seekers. They are skilled in conducting assessments through interpreters, using measures of post-traumatic stress disorder and other mental health problems that are standardised, culturally-sensitive and recognised internationally.

The following are examples of instructions that have been received by our clinical psychologists:

Assessment of post-traumatic stress disorder and the psychological impact on an individual of returning to their country of origin
Assessment of the ability to testify of an individual with mental health problems
Assessment of the level of understanding of an individual with language difficulties and mental health problems
Assessment of an individual suspected of malingering in relation to symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder
Assessment of the impact on an individual’s psychological well-being of events that occurred in a detention centre
Provision of expert witness testimony at immigration tribunals
Provision of psychological treatment (through interpreters) for post-traumatic stress disorder and other mental health problems experienced by refugees and asylum seekers