What has been the impact of western governments’ laws and policies on the mental health of asylum seekers and refugees? A Systematic-narrative hybrid literature review

This article reviews research on the causal impact of Western governments’ laws and policies on the mental health of asylum seekers and refugees. The systematic-narrative hybrid literature review yielded 34 studies using quantitative, qualitative and mixed methods approaches, focusing almost exclusively on restrictive and deterrence-oriented measures. The synthesis shows that, over the last two decades, Western governments’ laws and policies around detention, access to basic rights, asylum procedure, and reception have had a substantial and almost exclusively negative impact on the mental health of protection seekers. Based on our findings, we urge legislators and policymakers to consider the long-term consequences and costs of the laws and policies they introduce, within and beyond the realm of mental health. In addition, we highlight the need for more research on governmental measures that are likely to have a positive impact on the mental health of asylum seekers and refugees.