Refugee fate: fleeing, suffering and still hoping

Destino de los refugiados: huir, sufrir y seguir esperando

The past ten years have witnessed major and most brutal social changes in South East Europe. The wars that accompanied the breakup of former Yugoslavia have lead to massive destruction and degradation of human lives, destruction of infrastructure and means of life, disintegration of social fabric and value systems. The same holds true for regions of the former USSR, like Chechnya. The largest groups of severely affected people are refugees and internally displaced people. In South Eastern Europe close to 4 million of people had to flee their homes to save lives, in fear of persecution or because of forceful expulsion. The typical refugee pattern has been repeated once again, from Croatia to Bosnia to Kosovo and Macedonia.

Both the refugees and the societies have gone through several phases: from disbelief and helplessness, over collective empathy, to bitterness, repatriation, and organized community responses. There is evidence that prolonged displacement harms mental health. This extends also into the period of return to the original communities. The difficulties of rebuilding and social reconstruction of the post war communities pose more demanding tasks than anticipated by the authorities and the affected populations. The returned refugees typically feel fully neglected once they return to their communities. Typical idealization of the long expected period of peace and resettlement has in many cases been brutally contrasted with dramatic reality. This is illustrated by the data demonstrating increasing prevalence of depressive symptoms, especially in children.

Resettlement needs to be viewed as a slow and painful process within the larger framework of social reconstruction that lasts for years. In such circumstances the role of care-providers in implementing both short- and long-term community interventions is crucial. A range of psychosocial interventions needs to be put in place in order to meet the needs of recovering individuals, families and communities. Illustrative examples from community-based programs implemented in Croatia will be discussed.

The challenge is to develop programs that will not only respond to the acute needs, but will also facilitate community development. Factors and relationships that may facilitate social reconstruction will be presented in a logic model. Unless the international community recognizes that facilitating social reconstruction, promoting human rights and building civil society, along with investments in local economies, are the way to prevent future conflicts; restrictions and deterrence, increasingly imposed by their governments on refugees, will have poor effects and bring about more suffering.

Dean AjdukoviÊ is a professor of psychology and the direc tor of postgraduate programs at the Department of Psychology, University of Zagreb. He is also president of the Society for Psychological Assistance and a family therapist. He has directed a number of projects providing community-based psychosocial assistance to refugees and victims of war. He has served as a trainer, consultant and evaluator in almost all countries of SE Europe. His publications include five books and over 80 articles.