WORKING WITH VISA REFUSED AND CANCELLED CLIENTS IN IMMIGRATION DETENTION AND IN THE COMMUNITY 

Following the 2023 conference a FASSTT working group was established which has provided a forum to discuss work with detained refugees and asylum seekers whose visas had been cancelled. Across FASSTT considerable experience and expertise has been built in working with this group. There are, however, significant challenges in working therapeutically with these clients owing to their often protracted detention and complex forensic history and the threat of repatriation or removal to a third country. 

Many of the clients have both significant mental health problems and rehabilitation needs in relation to their forensic history. With regard to medico-legal evidence they often require psychological assessments in relation to both refugee claims and with respect to risk to the community. There have been some major legal developments for this cohort since the last workshop, including a High Court judgment that required many visa cancelled refugees to be released into the community. However, the community arrangements have often been oppressive, requiring the wearing of ankle bracelets and observation of curfews which have posed a range of issues for FASSTT agencies working with this group. 

 This workshop will begin by discussing the legal and ethical framework of this work, will review some of the legal developments in relation to immigration detention that affect our clients, and will then discuss the experiences of FASSTT counsellors in providing therapeutic interventions  both in immigration detention and in the community. The workshop draws on the experience and knowledge of counsellors across the FASSTT network. There will be an introductory overview of this area of work and then themed case presentations by a number of practitioners involved in the work with plenty of opportunity for discussion.

Workshop run time: 3 hours