Paper details

Paper authors	Gaffar Mohammud saeneen
In panel on	Everyday violence and resistance in Europe’s ‘migration management’ during the Covid-19 pandemic
Paper presenter(s) will be presenting	In-Person / Online

Abstract

The phenomenon of psychological disorder, stress and suicidal tendency among Sudanese asylum seekers/refugees in France

 

Rather than analyzing the phenomenon of severe mental health problems experienced among asylum seekers and refugees in France from a scientific perspective, this paper sheds critical light on the matters from the perspective of associative and personal lived experience on the ground. From a thorough observation that stemmed from long experience since 2014 through my volunteer involvement with several French civil society associations working on the field, in addition to full time work with Emmaus solidarity since 2017 until today, the paper includes several investigations conducted within the Sudanese communities in France.

 

Many Sudanese refugees/asylum seekers in France today are suffering from psychological disorders and severe depression to the extent that this is causing the sense of alienation, self isolation, feelings of regret, and many negative feelings which may lead to addiction and contemplating suicide.  In the paper, I discuss the factors that may contribute to this situation, some of which are intertwined with each other to the extent that the naked eye cannot separate them. These include but are not limited to: difficulties in the process of initial asylum procedures; the complexity and the prolonging period of waiting that is caused by Dublin Procedures; problems of accommodation and financial support; not finding suitable social places, such as fixed language institutions, colleges and entertainment venues to fill the long void; refusals and the long and boring wait for the court proceedings; language barriers; slow bureaucratic processes; feelings of isolation; difficulties accessing the job market; and the post-trauma and the flashback of events suffered in Libya.  And finally, finding that Europe is not the paradise they expected.' 

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