Memory and seeking asylum

Memory is central to the refugee experience. The legal process of being recognized as a refugee demands that the person describe past experiences (often the worst moments of their lives), in order for state and legal decision-makers to judge whether they have a 'well-founded fear of persecution...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inEuropean Journal of Psychotherapy & Counselling Vol. 9; no. 3; pp. 267 - 276
Main Authors Herlihy, Jane, Turner, Stuart
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Routledge 01.09.2007
Subjects
asylum law
asylum seekers
Memory
PTSD
refugee law
refugees
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Summary:Memory is central to the refugee experience. The legal process of being recognized as a refugee demands that the person describe past experiences (often the worst moments of their lives), in order for state and legal decision-makers to judge whether they have a 'well-founded fear of persecution' in their home country. A credible account - often judged by its coherence and the consistency of the details recalled - is essential to being accepted as a refugee. Without this recognition, asylum seekers face being returned to the country they fled. Although by no means all refugees can or should be described as 'traumatized', for those who do have recurring intrusive memories of their worst experiences, we need to have a good understanding of memory processing. Following a brief review of theories of traumatic memory, this paper will explore the implications of aspects of memory processing (including recall, dissociation, disclosure and the avoidance of distressing memories) for the legal process that faces people seeking protection from persecution.
ISSN:1364-2537
1469-5901
DOI:10.1080/13642530701496872