Medical Evaluation of Asylum Seekers

Abstract

An asylum seeker is a refugee who enters the United States without legal status, fleeing persecution or torture. Asylums seekers have suffered physical and/or emotional trauma due to race, religion, nationality, membership in a particular social group or political opinion in their native country. If forced to return to the country they fled, they fear continued harassment, abuse and even death. Every year, thousands of victims seek refuge in the United States; in 2011, of those who applied, nearly 25,000 were given asylum. A medical forensic examination performed by a trained physician or mental health clinician can provide strong support in immigration court, and increase the chances of a successful case. Physicians are uniquely qualified to use their medical training to evaluate scars and other evidence of past torture. In describing these findings in a report or in court testimony, the clinician can provide objective findings of abuse. When asylum is granted, torture survivors are allowed to begin a life in this country free of concern about recurrence of their past suffering. This chapter reviews the process of medical forensic examination of asylum seekers.