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Last week, a 22-year-old Afghan man committed suicide in Buochs, in the canton of Nidwalden. This is what the Nidwalden authorities wrote in a press release. The young man had been in Switzerland since the summer of 2015 and had the status of temporary admission. That is, his asylum application was rejected, but an eviction to Afghanistan was not reasonable.
The 22 year old had been well integrated in Nidwalden, had taken a compulsory German course in addition to compulsory language teaching and had been doing an internship at a company in Ennetbürgen since this summer. He lived in an apartment shared with three Afghan roommates, the canton wrote in his statement.
According to the office responsible for asylum and refugees, there was no indication of suicide. "The man did not comment on his problems nor did he make any suicidal thoughts," the authorities said. We only know that the young man suffered from severe abdominal pain two months ago. The family doctor then directed him to a psychiatrist.
The case of the 22-year-old Buochs Afghans highlights a problem in the Swiss asylum system, which often remains in the dark: fighting refugees with mental health problems, even if they have suicidal thoughts, this remains undetectable for a long time. There is no systematic investigation to detect mental illnesses. This, although experts assume that every third refugee has a mental illness.
Franziska Müller heads the policy consulting firm Interface. Last year, on behalf of the Swiss Confederation, she examined the health care provided to asylum seekers in Switzerland. With her team, she came to the conclusion that there is a great need for action, especially in the detection and treatment of mental illness.
Asylum seekers would undergo a check-up at the reception and treatment centers after their arrival in Switzerland. It was however very general. "Asylum seekers are only tested for diseases such as tuberculosis and receive information about HIV. Mental illnesses play no role in investigations, "said Müller.
Even at cantonal level in collective centers, residents are not systematically supported for mental health problems. According to Müller, not a caregiver, let alone a trained mental health or trauma staff, is present, but only social workers. If an asylum seeker with mental health problems is fighting, he or she must take the initiative and ask for help. "But that is exactly where the problem lies, because often the mentally ill can not get out of their misery on their own," Müller says.
In his study, Müller found great differences between the cantons. For example, the cantons of western Switzerland are better placed in the early detection of mental health problems among asylum seekers. In the cantons of Geneva and Vaud in particular, healthcare facilities are much more vulnerable to migration than in German-speaking Switzerland. It is difficult to overcome these differences. The Confederation can only make recommendations to the cantons, but not instructions.
At least they now recognized that there was a problem, Müller said. On the basis of their study last year, the Federal Office of Public Health said that Switzerland would now focus on the mental health of asylum seekers. He commissioned another study, the results of which will be published in December.
Mortaza Shahed knows how much the fate of the refugees is psychic. The 31-year-old Afghan cameraman shot a short film on the subject a year ago. In "Lost Paradise", he describes an Afghan refugee who thinks of suicide because he can not make a living in Switzerland.
Shahed himself fled to Afghanistan with his family four years ago. First, he received, as Buochs' defender, aged 22, an F approval. This temporary admission was a psychological torture for him, he says. "You never know if you will not be expelled suddenly, I've always been scared." He had never seen a doctor during his stay at the asylum. He was not addressed to his mental state either. Even asking for psychological support is not even involved, says Shahed.
His situation improved sharply when the Federal Administrative Court decided one year ago to recognize him as a refugee. He received a permanent residence permit. He found a job, was able to establish in Switzerland. But for many of his compatriots, the situation remains difficult: "They have already come to Switzerland traumatized and face extremely difficult problems, they receive no help." Shahed is aware of several refugees who have not could not endure and killed themselves. That's why the movie. "I wanted to shake myself," he says.
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