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Psychiatric evidence in UK immigration and asylum cases

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  09 August 2024

Nuwan Galappathie Open the ORCID record for Nuwan Galappathie [Opens in a new window]
Nuwan Galappathie*
Affiliation:
Consultant forensic psychiatrist at Coveberry Oldbury (Oldbury, UK), which is a forensic locked rehabilitation hospital with 13 bedrooms and 2 independent flats for men with intellectual disability, autism spectrum disorder and/or other mental health conditions. He has prepared hundreds of psychiatric reports in immigration and asylum cases.
*
Correspondence Dr Nuwan Galappathie. Email: Nuwan.Galappathie@caretech-uk.com
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Summary

This article critically reviews the case law, guidance and standards related to the provision of expert psychiatric evidence in immigration and asylum cases in the UK. It discusses the potentially complex and medico-legally challenging process of psychiatric evaluation of asylum seekers, and the implications of the presence of psychiatric disorders for issues such as the individual's ability to give oral evidence in court, immigration detention, fitness to fly, removal, deportation, ability to reintegrate into the destination country and appeal rights. To give context to the discussion, it outlines the asylum process in the UK from claiming asylum, initial screening and the ‘substantive interview’ to, if a claim is rejected, appeal to the First-tier Tribunal (Immigration and Asylum Chamber), detention and the removal process.

Keywords

Trauma and stressor-related disorderspsychiatry and lawmental health servicesadjustment disordersdepressive disorders
Type
Article
Information
BJPsych Advances , First View , pp. 1 - 8
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Copyright
Copyright © The Author(s), 2024. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of Royal College of Psychiatrists

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References

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