What is it about?
The stories that people requesting asylum present must be credible to the evaluation committee. However, lack of familiarity with cultural differences in narration and the impact of trauma can lead to misinterpretations and disqualification of legitimate claims.
Featured Image
Why is it important?
Fair adjudication of refugee claims is essential to protect human rights. The assumptions about narratives that underlie the refugee assessment process can teach us much about the role of illness and trauma narratives in everyday life. Modes of narration also affect the individuals coping and adaptation to trauma and forced migration.
Perspectives
Understanding and addressing the biases and assumptions in the refugee assessment process can help receiving countries improve their response to the current humanitarian emergency.
Laurence Kirmayer
McGill University
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Failures of Imagination: The Refugee's Predicament, Cambridge University Press,
DOI: 10.1017/cbo9780511500008.023.
You can read the full text:
Contributors
The following have contributed to this page
