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Treatment of refugees – open letter

January 6th, 2021 – Prof. em. Dr Ulrich Wagner, Marburg, Germany, wagner1@uni-marburg.de , Phone: Germany 0171 380 8830 and others, see below

Open letter

The treatment of refugees violates Human Rights, dehumanizes refugees and endangers European values and security

Dear Ladies and Gentlemen,

The burning of the refugee camp in Moria in October 2020 had drawn attention to the horrendous treatment that refugees are experiencing at the boundaries of Europe: Barred from crossing borders, the refugees are held in overcrowded camps under extremely poor conditions. In sharp contrast to the announcements of the European Community and leading European politicians, nothing has changed at the southern European borders. The relocation of refugees from the camps at the European south to other European countries remains far below the promised numbers – even though these numbers had been embarrassingly low from the beginning. In addition, the reports from Kara Tepe, from the new camp that replaced Moria, and other places describe the situation as worse than before. Politicians in Europe deny any responsibility and point their fingers at fellow politicians whom they say have to move first. Psychologists call such behaviour diffusion of responsibility or even moral disengagement.

The treatment of refugees as currently envisaged and implemented by the European Union and its politicians has negative psychological consequences for all. Subjected to trauma in their countries of origin and often the target of violence during flight, the experience of the refugees and their children is dramatically reinforced by the physical hardship and injustice in the European refugee camps. >From a psychological perspective, the ongoing violation of their Human Rights has consequences for their physical and mental health. Depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress symptoms and increased suicidality that manifest now or occur over time have been flagged up by more than one study (1).

In addition, given the feelings of rejection and exclusion that characterise refugees’ experiences in the camps, it is no wonder that refugees may become reluctant to identify with the culture that they seek to join (2). Psychological studies unequivocally show that feelings of social exclusion and alienation are among the major preconditions for political extremism and the emergence of terrorist violence (3).Thus, the current European policy, brutal in its rejection of refugees, facilitates political extremism and thereby endangers Europe itself and its inhabitants.

Finally, the current treatment of refugees reaching the borders of Europe is not without strong impact and consequence for European democracy and the values that underpin it. The public read about and see news stories that reveal the orchestrated political diffusion of responsibility – stories that undermine trust in national governments and the European Community. In addition, continuously witnessing the ongoing injustice and mistreatment of refugees diminishes trust in European values. Psychologically one can predict that, faced with the dissonance between their values and observations, the likelihood of the citizens of Europe blaming refugees for their fate and devaluing them rises (4). Put simply, the ongoing mistreatment of refugees can significantly undermine trust and belief in the workings and values of European democracy and lead to a further increase in racism and hate crimes.

From a psychological perspective, the current treatment of refugees reaching the European border has negative consequences for all: for refugees, for European security and the European democratic political system. We therefore strongly recommend that all people involved in the political process of decision making adopt a renewed perspective and act responsibly to bring an end to the inhuman disregard for the human rights that refugees experience.

_______________________________________________

(1) Amiri, S. (2020). Prevalence of suicide in immigrants/refugees: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Archives of Suicide Research, DOI 10.1080/13811118.2020.1802379
Barol, O., Grot, S. Oh, H. et al., (2020). Perceived ethnic discrimination as a risk factor for psychotic symptoms: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Psychological Medicine, 50 (7), 1077-1089.
Blackmore, R., Gray, K., Boyle, J.A., et al. (2020). Systematic review and meta-analysis: The prevalence of mental illness in child and adolescent refugees and asylum seekers. Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, Vol 59(6), 705-714.
Ziersch, A. (2018). A mixed methods systematic review of studies examining the relationship between housing and health for people from refugee and asylum seeking backgrounds. Social Science & Medicine, 213, 199-219.

(2) Gerber, J., & Wheeler, L. (2009). On being rejected: A meta-analysis of experimental research on rejection. Perspective on Psychological Science, 45, 468-488.

(3) Doosje, B., Moghaddam, F.M., Kruglanski, A.W., de Wolf, A., Mann, L., & Feddes, A.R. (2016). Terrorism, radicalization and de-radicalization. Science Direct, 11, 79‒84. doi: 10.1016/j.copsyc.2016.06.008

Pfundmair, M., Aydin, N., & Frey, D. (2017). Whatever? The effect of social exclusion on adopting persuasive messages. The Journal of Social Psychology, 157, 181-193.

Wagner, U. & Lemmer, G. (2019). Extremistische Gewalt. Praxis der Rechtspsychologie, 29, 5-22.

(4) Lerner, M. (1989). The belief in a just world. New York: Springer.

Sincerely

  1. Prof. em. Dr Ulrich Wagner, Marburg, Germany, Social Psychologist, wagner1@uni-marburg.de , Phone: Germany 0171 380 8830
  2. Dr Derek Indoe, Bath, England, Consultant Clinical and Forensic Psychologist BABCP Accredited Cognitive Behavioural Therapist and European Accredited EMDR Consultant
  3. Prof. Dr Hanna Christiansen, Marburg, Germany, Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychologist
  4. Prof.em.Dr. Jorge Vala, Lisboa, Portugal, Social Psychologist
  5. Assistant Prof. Dr Marlena Plavšić, Pula, Croatia, Psychologist
  6. Prof. Dr Teresa Garcia-Marques, Lisboa, Portugal, Social Psychologist
  7. Prof. Dr. Klaus Boehnke, Bremen, Germany, Social Science Methodology
  8. Prof. Dr. Maarten van Zalk, Osnabrück University, Germany, Developmental Psychologist
  9. Prof. Dr. Eva Walther, Trier, Germany, Social Psychologist
  10. Prof. Dr. Julia Becker, Osnabrueck, Germany, Social Psychologist
  11. Prof. Dr. Andreas Zick, Director of the Institute for Interdisciplinary Research on Conflict and Violence at Bielefeld University
  12. Maria-Therese Friehs, M. Sc., Landau, Germany, Social, Educational and Developmental Psychologist
  13. Prof. Dr. Kai Sassenberg, Tübingen, Germany, Social Psychologist
  14. Prof. Dr. Mathias Kauff, Hamburg, Germany, Social psychologist
  15. Dr. Helen Landmann, Berlin, Germany, Community Psychologist
  16. Prof. Dr. Christopher Cohrs, Marburg, Germany, Social Psychologist
  17. Prof. Dr. Juliane Degner, Hamburg, Germany, Social Psychologist
  18. Prof. em. Håkan Stattin, Uppsala, Sweden, Psychology
  19. Drs. Polli Hagenaars, Amsterdam, The Netherlands, Private practice, licensed health psychologist
  20. Prof.Dr. Rolf van Dick, Frankfurt, Germany, Social Psychologist
  21. Associate professor Dr. Anna Kende, Budapest, Hungary, Social Psychologist
  22. Prof. Dr. Gerhard Reese, Landau/Berlin, Germany, Environmental and Social Psychologist
  23. Dr. Judith Lanphen, Mönchengladbach, Germany, School Psychologist
  24. Dr. Luca Caricati, Social Psychologists, Parma, Italy
  25. Dr. Michał Bilewicz, Warsaw, Poland, Social Psychologist
  26. Adrian Rothers (MSc / PhD candidate), Marburg, Germany, Social Psychology
  27. Prof. dr. Susan Branje, Utrecht, The Netherlands, Developmental Psychology/Educational Science
  28. Dr. Patrick Kotzur, Durham, UK, Social Psychologist
  29. Pr. Vincent Yzerbyt, Brussels, Belgium, Social Psychologist
  30. Dr. Mathias Schmitz, Leuven, Beligum, Social Psychologist
  31. Carmen Lienen, Frankfurt, Germany, Social Psychologist
  32. Prof. Dr. Frank Asbrock, Chemnitz, Germany, Social Psychologist
  33. Dr. Franziska Ehrke, Landau, Germany, Social Psychologist
  34. M.Sc. Zahra Khosrowtaj, Marburg, Germany, Psychologist
  35. Dr. Nadine Knab, Tel Aviv, Israel, Social Psychologist 
  36. Prof. em. Gert Sommer, Marburg, Germany, Clinical Psychologist
  37. Prof. i.R. Dr. Karin Schermelleh-Engel, Frankfurt, Germany, Quantitative Psychologist
  38. Dr. Klaus Harnack Münster, Germany, I&O-Psychologist
  39. Rupert Brown, Brighton, UK, Emeritus Professor of Social Psychology
  40. Prof. Dr. Markus Hausmann, Durham, UK, Psychologist
  41. Prof. Dr. Sarah Teige-Mocigemba, Marburg, Germany, Psychological Diagnostics
  42. Dr. Rita R. Silva, Lisbon, Portugal, Social Psychologist
  43. Prof. Melanie Steffens, Landau, Germany, Social Psychologist
  44. MSc, Inga Lisa Pauls, Marburg, Germany, Social Psychologist
  45. Prof. em. Dr. Ewa Drozda-Senkowska, Paris, France, Social Psychologist
  46. Dr Jens H. Hellmann, Münster, Germany, Social Psychologist
  47. Dr. Silvana Weber, University of Erlangen-Nuremberg, Germany, Social Psychology
  48. Elena Ball, PhD student, Landau, Germany, Social Psychology
  49. Juma Kalyegira, Bremen, Germany, Clinical Psychologist
  50. Dr. Mariana Miranda, Lisbon, Portugal, Social Psychologist
  51. Stefanie Richters, Osnabrück, Germany, Social Psychologist
  52. Dr. Maja Kutlaca, Durham, UK, Social Psychologist
  53. Dr. Ulrich Klocke, Berlin, Germany, Social Psychologist.
  54. Dr. Sarina Schäfer, Hagen, Germany, Social Psychologist
  55. Prof. Dr. David D. Loschelder, Lüneburg, Germany, Social Psychologist
  56. Prof. Dr. Michaela Pfundmair, Berlin, Germany, Psychologist of Intelligence and Security Studies
  57. Dr. Ralf Wölfer, Oxford, UK & Berlin, Germany, Social Psychology
  58. M. Sc. Paul Bacher, Marburg, Germany, Social Psychologist
  59. M.Sc. Katja Wehrle, Giessen, Germany, Work and Organizational Psychologist
  60. Dr. Jost Stellmacher, Marburg, Germany, Pedagogical and Social Psychologist
  61. Dr. Gunnar Lemmer, Marburg, Germany, Social Psychologist and Statistician 
  62. Prof. Dr. Oliver Christ, Osnabrück, Germany, Social Psychologist
  63. Prof. Dr Juan M. Falomir-Pichastor, Geneva, Switzerland, Social Psychologist”
  64. M. Sc. Christine Ebbeler, Cologne, Germany, Social Psychologist
  65. Dr. Lea Hartwich, Osnabrück, Germany, Social Psychologist
  66. MSc Larissa Knöchelmann, Marburg, Germany, Social Psychologist
  67. Prof. Dr Eva G.T. Green, Lausanne, Switzerland, Social psychologist
  68. Nils Tobias Henschel, Bremen, Germany, Social Psychologist
  69. Dr. Emanuele Politi. Leuven, Belgium. Social psychologist 
  70. Karel Héritier, Lausanne, Switzerland, Social Psychologist
  71. PD Dr. Daniela Niesta Kayser, Potsdam, Germany, Social Psychologist
  72. Orgun Oezcan, Cologne, Germany, Social Psychologist
  73. Dr Masi Noor, Keele, UK, Social Psychologist
  74. Prof. Dr. Erik M. Müller, Marburg, Germany, Differential Psychology
  75. Prof. Dr. Tobias Banaschweski, Mannheim, Germany, child and adolescent psychiatrist
  76. Prof. Dr. Barbara van den Hoofdakker, Groningen, The Netherlands, clinical psychologist
  77. Prof. Dr. Jan Buitelaar, Nijmegen, The Netherlands, child and adolescent psychiatrist
  78. Prof. Dr. Rita Rosner, Eichstätt-Ingolstadt, Germany, clinical psychologist
  79. Dr. Heidi Aase, Director Norwegian Institute of Public Health, psychologist
  80. Prof. Dr. Marjolein Luman, Amsterdam, psychologist, clinical neuropsychology
  81. Prof. Dr. Alessandro Zuddas, Cagliari, child and adolescent psychologist
  82. Prof. Dr. Søren Dalsgaard, Aarhus, Denmark, Psychiatric epidemiology, Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist
  83. PD Dr. Björn Albrecht, Marburg, Germany, Psychologist
  84. Prof. Dr. Ursula Pauli-Pott, Marburg, Germany, child and adolescent psychologist
  85. Prof. Dr. Louise Poustka, Göttingen, Germany, child and adolescent psychiatrist
  86. Prof. Dr. David Daley, University of Nottingham, UK, psychologist
  87. PD Dr. Sarah Hohmann, Mannheim, Germany, child and adolescent psychiatrist
  88. Dr. Maite Ferrin, University of Southamptom, UK, child and adolescent psychiatrist
  89. Dr. Mira-Lynn Chavanon, Marburg, Germany, clinical child and adolescent psychologist
  90. Prof. Dr. Daniel Brandeis, Mannheim, Germany, psychologist
  91. Prof. Dr. Therese van Amelsvoort, Maastricht University, The Netherlands, psychiatrist
  92. Prof. Dr. Philip Asherson, London, UK, psychologist
  93. Prof. Dr. Sarah Curran, London, UK, child and adolescent psychiatrist
  94. Prof. Dr. Chris Hollis, Nottingham, UK, child and adolescent psychiatrist
  95. Prof. Dr. Catharina Hartmann, Groningen, The Netherlands, psychologist
  96. Prof. Dr. Daniel Heck, Marburg, Germany, psychologist
  97. Prof. Dr. Emily Simonoff, London, UK, child and adolescent psychiatrist
  98. Prof. Dr. Corinna Reck, München, Germany, clinical child and adolescent psychologist
  99. Prof. Dr. Ana Miranda, Valencia, Spain, psychologist
  100. Dr. Kristin Gilbert, Marburg, Germany, clinical psychologist
  101. Prof. Dr. Christina Schwenck, Gießen, Germany, clinical child and   adolescent psychologist
  102. Prof. Dr. Alexandra Philipsen, Bonn, Germany, psychiatrist
  103. Prof. Dr. Giovanni de Girolamo, Brescia, Italy, psychiatrist
  104. Prof. Dr. Ulrike Lüken, Berlin, Germany, clinical psychologist
  105. Prof. Dr. Jürgen Margraf, Bochum, Germany, clinical psychologist
  106. Prof. Dr. Barbara Franke, Nijmegen, The Netherlands, psychiatry
  107. Prof. Dr. Roeljan Wiersema, Ghent, Belgium, psychologist
  108. Dr. Cornelia Soff, Marburg, Germany, clinical child and adolescent psychologist
  109. Prof. Dr. Herbert Roeyers, Ghent, Belgium, clinical psychologist
  110. Prof. Dr. Anselm B. Fuermeier, Groningen University, The Netherlands,             psychologist
  111. Prof. Simona Giordano, Manchester, UK, Professor of Bioethics
  112. Prof. Dr. Jonna Kuntsi, London, UK, psychologist
  113. Dr. Alexander Häge, Mannheim, Germany, child and adolescent      psychiatrist
  114. Prof. Dr. Martin Hotlmann, Bochum, child and adolescent psychiatrist

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