Policy and practice briefingsMigrants, refugees and asylum seekers
Issues
Europe has a long history of migration and the diversity of its ethnicities and religions creates complex links between ethnicity and drug use. More recently, following a high level of conflicts in the Middle East and Africa, more than 1.4 million people applied for asylum in the European Union in the last half of 2015 and the first half of 2016. Over half of the asylum seekers to the European Union in 2015 (53 %) were young adults (18–34 years), the age group most likely to use substances in Europe. Some lessons may be drawn from past research on migrants to Europe but must be viewed with caution because of cultural differences and reasons for migration.
Many migrants have lower rates of substance use than their host communities, but some may be more vulnerable to substance misuse for reasons such as trauma, unemployment and poverty, loss of family and social support, and the move to a normatively lenient setting. Drugs may be used to cope with trauma, boredom, uncertainty and frustration around immigration status. Vulnerability may be aggravated by poor knowledge about and access to treatment services.
The EMCDDA commissioned a paper to provide background information on this topic: Migrants, asylum seekers and refugees: an overview of the literature relating to drug use and access to services
European picture
- Undertaking needs assessments and establishing monitoring systems will be essential for identifying and addressing emerging problems and filling the current data gap in this area.
- Sharing of good practice and programmes within and between countries may help to extend service provision to meet the needs of these vulnerable groups of individuals.
- Future research should investigate the role that cultural continuities between the country of origin and the host country play in drug and alcohol use after migration.
Summary of the available evidence
Principal risk and protective factors for substance use problems relevant to the current migration situation
| Risk factors | Protective factors |
|---|---|
| Being single | Some strong religious affiliations, e.g. being a devout Muslim |
| Coming from a culture in which substance use is normalised (e.g. opium, khat) | Living in strong family unit |
| Boredom, unemployment | Integration in new society language, employment or other activities |
| Traumatic experiences | Good physical and mental condition |
| Poverty | |
| Poor knowledge about treatment services | |
| Living in run-down neighbourhoods and socially deprived areas |
Implications for policy and practice
The implications for future development of responses for this group include:
Basics
- Migrant groups, such as the current wave of asylum seekers, may be at risk of developing drug problems. There is a need to increase awareness of vulnerabilities and reduce social exclusion of these people.
- Services need to be alert to potential health issues, including drug problems, among asylum seekers and be prepared to address potential cultural barriers and language difficulties.
- Monitoring of the health needs, including substance misuse issues, of new migrants is needed.
Opportunities
- Services to address the needs of migrant groups are being developed in a number of countries and these should be identified and promising practice shared.
Gaps
- Where specific needs are identified new services for prevention and treatment of problems need to be developed. These need to be evaluated so that the current limited evidence base is expanded.
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