Role of professionals
The role of professionals working with asylum seekers and refugees
Professionals working with asylum seekers and refugees are likely to encounter many challenges in dealing with complex physical health, mental health and safeguarding problems. Therefore, health professionals are very well placed to champion the needs for asylum seekers and refugees, by taking their role seriously and ensuring that they fulfil their duties under national and international laws, and comply with their Code of Conduct and Professional Practice and Ethics.
Some of the core duties may include:
- Arranging referral for the Human Rights Assessments.
- Being the voice of the voiceless who are suffering or at risk of suffering.
- Supporting asylum seekers during the asylum seeking process.
- Advocacy work and Intervention.
- Needs and Risk assessments.
- Consideration for safeguarding assessments.
- Challenging social injustices and human rights violations.
- Being the link to promote community integration.
- Ensuring that asylum seekers access services (Health, Housing, Education etc.).
- Upholding and promoting human dignity and well-being.
- Treating each person as a whole and being non-judgemental.
- Empowering service users and fight oppression.
- Adopting a Rights Based Approach.
- Respecting human rights principles.
