On June 26, Doctors for Human Rights (MEDU) released a report in Italian titled 'Frammenti' (Fragments), highlighting the abuse of migrants and its effects. Supported by the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR), the report was published on the International Day in Support of Victims of Torture.
Over one million migrants and asylum seekers have arrived in Italy over the past decade, including a high percentage of people who survived extreme trauma in their countries of origin and/or on migration routes.
Since 2014, Doctors for Human Rights (MEDU) has addressed increasing health-related needs by implementing a model of intervention to promote the psycho-physical and social well-being of survivors of torture and cruel, inhuman, and degrading treatment.
The organization's activities are carried out at its Psychè centers for cross-cultural mental health in Rome, Florence, and Ragusa.
Over 1,500 migrants, asylum seekers, and refugees have been assisted by the organization over the past nine years in 8,000 sessions, said MEDU during its June 26 presentation of a report entitled 'Frammenti' ('Fragments'), created with the support of UNHCR.
Of this total, over 80% said that they had suffered torture or inhuman and degrading treatment in their countries of origin or transit.
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Italy 'far from implementing assistance guidelines'
In 2017, the Italian health ministry issued guidelines for assistance, rehabilitation, and treatment of the psychological disturbances of refugees that had experienced torture, rape, or other serious forms of psychological, physical, or sexual torture. However, the report indicates that Italy is far from incorporating or implementing these guidelines.
The experience gained over the years by the Psyché centers, MEDU said, has enabled it to pinpoint existing gaps in health and reception services and to design a model for effective intervention that is both replicable and sustainable -- albeit only partial.
The model, it added, sees the key as being in the subsidiarity between public services and private social organizations. In addition to presenting the Psychè centers' intervention model, the 'Frammenti' report includes multimedia elements and offers an overview of the complex relationship between migration, trauma, and mental health.
The report also provides proposals to improve Italy's overall capacity to manage these issues, targeting political decision-makers at various levels as well as the social and healthcare services sector.
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