Asylum procedures in distress: Refugees fight against long waiting times!

Asylum procedures in distress: Refugees fight against long waiting times!

On June 17, 2025, a press conference by the human rights association Asyl in Not will take place in Café Siebenstern in Vienna. The event starts at 8:30 a.m. and will address important grievances in the asylum process. What is particularly alarming is the suspension of all Syrian asylum procedures, which is leading to extremely long processing times at the Federal Office for Immigration and Asylum (BFA). Affected refugees report a reality of life that is characterized by political persecution and violence, while at the same time they have to struggle with the threat of psychological, social and existential damage due to delays in the procedures ots.at.

Among the speakers are Kübra Atasoy, the chairwoman of Asyl in Not, Peter Marhold from Helping Hands and representatives of refugee families who will describe their stressful experiences. The conference aims to highlight the untenable circumstances and present reports on successes against official harassment.

Psychological stress and trauma

The situation of refugees is exacerbated by numerous psychological problems, which are often not sufficiently taken into account in the asylum process. A study shows that around 40% of asylum seekers and refugees in Germany have had multiple traumatizing experiences, including torture and violence. These traumatic experiences have serious effects on mental health and often lead to trauma-related disorders. Over 50% of rape victims and 87% of torture victims exhibit disorders like this Medical Journal reported.

What is particularly worrying is that the Asylum Seekers Benefits Act only grants medical treatment for acute and life-threatening cases, which further exacerbates the situation of many traumatized refugees. Many of them live in poor conditions in shared accommodation with inadequate sanitation facilities. This contributes to an already poor physical and psychological condition. Refugee children are particularly affected and often suffer from developmental disabilities and traumatizing experiences.

Lack of support and diagnosis

Despite the high prevalence of mental illnesses among refugees, such as a meta-analysis reporting a prevalence rate of around 30% for post-traumatic stress disorders, adequate diagnosis is often lacking. The lack of interpreters in practices and clinics makes diagnosing psychiatric illnesses even more difficult. Many traumatized refugees have difficulty explaining their reasons for fleeing, which often leads to their asylum applications being rejected. The constant fear of deportations increases the already existing psychological stress, as shown baff-zentren.org documented.

Regular reports show that rejected asylum seekers live in constant fear and often lack access to medical care. The medical care structures are often overloaded and the burden on the treatment centers is increasing. Many suffering refugees are not adequately prepared to return to their home countries, where they may be exposed to traumatizing situations again. The support of the German medical profession is viewed critically as it finds itself in an ethical conflict regarding its role in deportation measures.

The upcoming press conference ends with a call for support and the urgent need to remedy the abuses in the asylum process and to put the mental health of refugees at the center of the discussion.