A reported 55% of the Syrians who have been given protection in the UK under the Syrian resettlement programme are torture survivors, according to the National Audit Office. The NAO report, a review of the progress of the Syrian Vulnerable Persons Relocation Scheme (VPRS), highlights concerns of human rights charity Freedom from Torture that these vulnerable people are not able to access specialist help so that they can begin a journey of rehabilitation and rebuilding their shattered lives. Freedom from Torture provided input to the report after raising repeatedly with the former minister for Syrian refugees the need to ensure that all of those resettled under this scheme can access specialist support including torture rehabilitation.
Without these services it can be difficult for survivors to address the trauma they have faced and to access other opportunities that are being provided, such as English language lessons. Since the launch of the scheme we have received only a few referrals for resettled Syrians and we are concerned that many more are being resettled in areas where they cannot access support. Our concerns are shared by local authorities, which highlighted that those refugees with physical or mental health needs require substantial support, especially in the long-term, which is not covered by existing funding arrangements.
We welcome the UK’s commitment to provide sanctuary to torture survivors and other vulnerable Syrians through this programme and to meet its arguably modest goal of accepting 20,000 Syrian refugees by 2020. As the only UK-based human rights organisation dedicated to the treatment and rehabilitation of torture survivors, we know that torture is widespread in Syria. This scheme’s objective is to help the most vulnerable, so we are surprised not to have more being referred to our centres. Torture survivors risk being either identified too late or missed entirely. The government needs to immediately improve its coordination with specialist voluntary sector providers. The amount of funding given to local authorities to support each refugee will be reviewed after the programme has been in operation for a year. We strongly recommend that mental health services are included in the programme without delay so that torture survivors coming in the next wave of the refugee resettlement scheme get the vital support and services they need and deserve.
Susan Munroe
Chief executive, Freedom from Torture
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Tortured Syrian refugees need specialist help | Letters
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