Recording suicide attempts
Table 1, data differ significantly in terms of
what is recorded.
FRA was able to collect some official data on
suicides and other forms of self-harm among
asylum seekers in Denmark, Finland, Hungary,
the Netherlands and Poland. As illustrated in
Of the 120 suicide attempts and
incidents of suicidal behaviour
among asylum seekers recorded in
Denmark in 2016, 29 involved
children. 19
Table 1: Official statistics on suicide attempts and other forms of self-harm among
asylum seekers in five EU Member States
Time period
Suicide
attempts
Suicides
Verbal
suicide
threats
Selfharm
Denmark
Jan–Dec 2016
3
120*
n.a.
n.a.
Finland
Oct 2015–Sept 2016
5
15-20
n.a.
n.a.
Hungary
Jan–Dec 2016
0
11
75
n.a.
The Netherlands
Jan–June 2016
n.a.
n.a.
648
484
Poland**
Jan–Dec 2016
n.a.
2
6
n.a.
Notes:
*Figure on suicide attempts in Denmark covers both suicide attempts and suicidal
behaviour.
**Figures on Poland cover both asylum seekers and migrants.
n.a. = not available
Source: FRA, 2017
Suicides and suicide attempts among asylum
seekers or refugees in 2016 were also
registered by unofficial sources in Bulgaria, 20
Germany, 21 Greece, 22 Slovakia 23 and Sweden.
In Sweden, these include unaccompanied
children. 24
Identification
The
Reception
Conditions
Directive (2013/33/EU) obliges EU Member
States to take into account the specific
situation of vulnerable persons. One category
of vulnerable persons listed in Article 21 of the
directive consists of victims of “torture, rape
or other serious forms of psychological,
physical or sexual violence”. Article 22 of the
directive requires EU Member States to
assess whether vulnerable persons have
special reception needs. Such needs must be
addressed, including if they emerge at a later
stage. The situation of persons with special
reception needs must be monitored
appropriately.
Organisations in Greece 25 and Italy 26 identify
the long waiting time for the outcome of the
asylum procedure or the rejection of an
application and the consequent deportation
as reasons for suicide attempts. Trauma can
also be worsened due to poor reception
conditions, frequent transfers of asylum
seekers from one reception facility to
another, or due to the geographical isolation
of reception centres (for example, in Italy27
and Bulgaria 28). Authorities in Bulgaria 29 and
Hungary 30 noted that some suicide attempts
may be aimed at attracting attention.
The
Asylum
Procedures
Directive (2013/32/EU) contains a similar
duty. Its Article 24 obliges EU Member States
5