Europe in the aftermath of the refugee crisis: the effect on forensic psychotherapy

Abstract

After World War II Germany has repeatedly suffered waves of immigration. With eighteen to twenty per cent of the entire German population now being of foreign descent, it is puzzling that public opinion widely ignores the impact of migration on Germany’s national destiny and identity. As forensic therapists we routinely apply a set of assumptions and routines, by which we address internal and external culture conflicts of migrants. Each wave has challenged the justice system and the legislature, and forensic therapists are used to working around legal boundaries to safeguard that migrants receive treatment and are not deported. The uniqueness of the present wave of migration lies in the overwhelmingly high numbers of arrivals in a very short time span, many of whom were traumatised unaccompanied male minors with ill-informed expectations. Europe in its entirety has seen the breakdown of existing structures for receiving and accommodating refugees alongside a surge of solidarity, but also with some alarming loss of empathy. Public bias against migration is beginning to impinge on our forensic work, as we deal with migrants, whose difficult life situation has had a bearing on their criminal behaviour, while forensic assessments determine whether they are going to be deported or not. We as forensic therapists are therefore caught in a professional dilemma whichever way we turn.