WATCH THE VIDEO: Forced immigration is a hot topic in the West today. While everybody speaks about the impact it causes in local societies, very few is said about the impact it has in the lives of those who are forced to migrate. We sat with Oyinkan Sola Oladipupo, a psychologist with many years of experience on trauma.
We talked about the primary psychological and emotional challenges that immigrants may face due to forced migration, and how these experiences impact their overall well-being and mental health.
The challenges include the administrative burden of obtaining a legal status, getting access to services such as healthcare, education and different economic opportunities.
There are strategies and interventions that can help immigrants cope with the trauma associated with forced migration, taking into account cultural and contextual factors. Among them is the important role local communities can play.
An example of support can be a training related to the identification of signs of trauma and PSTD offered by local councils to a member of the local community interested.