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Chapter 13 - Supporting Refugee Family Reunification in Exile

from Part II - Trauma Care for Refugee Families

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  21 August 2020

By
Nora Sveaass  and
Sissel Reichelt
Edited by
Lucia De Haene  and
Cécile Rousseau
Lucia De Haene
Affiliation:
University of Leuven, Belgium
Cécile Rousseau
Affiliation:
McGill University, Montréal
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Summary

Family reunion in exile may be a complex and challenging experience. Refugee families are often reunited in the host countries after having lived through long periods of separation, insecurity and violence. Assisting families in the process of reunification is discussed as an issue of priority, both from a psychological and a human rights point of view. Based on clinical experiences, the authors suggest that accompanying families in this process of transition is meaningful and useful. The chapter argues that work with refugees should be seen through a family lens, and that mental health professionals have the knowledge and background regarding families and systems that enable them to offer good assistance to families in reunification processes. A model for assisting families and dealing with the many challenges involved in the process of reunification is explored and discussed. The need for a more systematized approach is underlined, and research on the effect of conversations to families reunited in exile is called for.

Keywords

family reunificationrefugeessocial supporttraumatic experiencespreventive strategies
Type
Chapter
Information
Working with Refugee Families
Trauma and Exile in Family Relationships
 , pp. 212 - 231
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2020

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