Background: It has been estimated that approximately 200,000 persons nation-wide have experienced torture prior to their arrival in the United States. Most of these individuals reside in large urban areas, including New York City. Doctors of the World, an American-based medical humanitarian organization, has been providing documentation and clinical services to such individuals since 1993. Methods: Doctors of the World links volunteer physicians and mental health professionals with asylum applicants who state they are survivors of torture. In 1999, 172 asylum applicants were clinically evaluated and received affidavits supporting their application for asylum. Results: Individuals receiving services under this program came from 44 countries and ranged in age from 18 to 74 (average age 32). Approximately 75% were men. Services were usually provided within one month of the date of request. Although survivors report being forced to submit to a variety of types of torture, regional trends in the kinds of torture employed by repressive regimes are evident. Almost all survivors report psychological symptoms. Of those whose cases have been adjudicated by the Immigration and Naturalization Service, 80% have received asylum. Conclusion: The documentation of the medical consequences of torture are an important component of a torture survivor’s application for asylum in the United States. Medical professionals have a crucial role to play in providing these services, which can be effectively organized on a volunteer basis.
Learning Objectives: To assess the role of medical professionals in providing documentation services to torture survivors applying for asylum in the United States
Keywords: Torture, Evaluation
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: Doctors of the World
I have a significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.
Relationship: Vice Chair of the Board of Directors