Asylum application process: The psychiatric patient's experience

Abstract

Summary: Clinicians in all specialties may encounter patients who are in the process of seeking asylum in the UK. This article outlines the practical realities of this process, particularly the legal, social, and economic challenges faced by applicants, and the long wait for resolution. These are highlighted as factors that may have an impact on the psychological health and social functioning of patients. This social and economic context is of particular interest to mental health professionals involved in the care of asylum-seekers; assisting in the process of case formulation, risk assessment, care planning, and the preparation of medico-legal reports. Declaration of interest: This article was written while working as a higher trainee in general adult psychiatry in Haringey, an inner London borough with a relatively high proportion of individuals subject to immigration control and with no recourse to public funds.