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Towards A Trauma-Informed Asylum Process and Services

Project Members

Project Lead: Dr Ingi Iusmen, Associate Professor in Governance and Policy at the University of Southampton

Project Member: Professor Jana Kreppner, Associate Professor in Developmental Psychopathology within Psychology at the University of Southampton

Overview

By using participatory methodology, this project will co-produce with unaccompanied young people seeking asylum practice guidance/resources/toolkit aimed at advancing a trauma-informed asylum process and social service to address the ‘hostile’ UK asylum system. The project aims to (i) co-produce practice guidance and toolkits to advocate for a better, trauma- and culturally-informed service provision across sectors (legal, social care, education/training) and (ii) bring together key stakeholders (refugee charities and NGOs, practitioners (social and mental health services, immigration lawyers)) and end-users (asylum-seekers) to develop trauma-informed guidance and recommendations designed to make the UK asylum process more trauma-sensitive. The academic researchers partnered with the Shpresa Programme (a charity supporting Albanian asylum-seekers) for this project and the impact activities are co-produced with the young people supported by this charity.

Anticipated policy impacts

Production of trauma-informed practice recommendations/guidelines and toolkit for the asylum process, raising awareness of how/when the asylum process can cause trauma to asylum-seekers, establishing contacts and working relations with key stakeholders in the field.