There are no official or unofficial
data on the number of victims of
torture or severely traumatised
persons with signs of drug
dependence in any of the 14
Member States covered by FRA’s
research.
The development of mental health conditions
and drug use is not only related to traumatic
experiences asylum seekers had in their
country of origin, but also depends on their
situation after arrival. 136 The Ministry of
Health in Germany refers to reports noting
that drug dependence is often developed
after some time in the country. Use of
addictive substances, aggression and suicidal
tendencies are typical symptoms of the
attempt to cope with a feeling of
hopelessness. 137 Civil society organisations in
Austria and in the Netherlands note that the
uncertainty concerning the outcome of the
asylum procedure and/or family reunification,
the waiting times, and concerns about family
members left behind cause further stress. 138
Professionals in the Netherlands further
suggest that factors within the general
population of asylum seekers, such as group
pressure, poverty and isolation, also influence
drug use by asylum seekers. Trauma can be
an aspect that influences drug use, but this
differs from person to person, and in some
cases those with trauma-related issues can
be more resistant to the ‘temptations’ of drug
use. 139
In France, some partial information exists for
specific care centres or regions, but is only
available to doctors. 129
Statistics on drug use based on nationality are
available in Poland.130 In Slovakia, the Border
and Alien Police has data on foreigners in
detention centres and drug use; numbers
remain low (five persons with drug addictions
in 2014, 26 in 2015 and 13 in 2016). The trend
is different in other EU Member States. In
Denmark, the Men’s Home (Mændenes Hjem)
– an organisation that provides drop-incentres and shelters for homeless people and
people who use drugs in Copenhagen –
observed an increase in the number of
foreigners and asylum seekers among drug
users. A rough estimate – without data being
systematically collected – suggests that the
numbers doubled in 2016 in comparison with
previous periods; however, the estimated
numbers are relatively low. 131 Similarly, in
Germany, the Federal Criminal Police Office
(Bundeskriminalamt) reports that the number
of drug consumption instances (including
cannabis) with involvement of immigrants
increased from approximately 5,000 cases in
2014 to some 8,000 cases in 2015. However,
it is not known how many of these offences
related to asylum applicants or refugees. 132
A number of foreigners in Bulgaria already
suffered from dependencies upon arrival.
Young Afghans already used hashish in their
own country and drug dealers have been
noticed around reception centres since 2013,
aiming to exploit their drug problem, often
offering low quality drugs. 140
Demographics
Among asylum seekers, drug dependence
predominantly affects young men under 30
years of age, and to a lesser extent women. 141
In Greece, it also affects unaccompanied
boys. 142
In 2016, three cases of illicit drug dependence
were identified in Bulgaria133 and a number of
cases were identified in Hungary, which
variously
relate
to
asylum
applicants/migrants. 134 If the drug at issue is
listed as an illegal substance under Hungarian
law, the affected person is reported to the
police. 135
There are no aggregated national data that
would allow identifying clearly the country of
origin of asylum applicants or migrants in an
irregular situation who are using drugs.
However, social or medical staff have
observed certain trends: Afghan men under
20 years of age have been the most common
group with drug dependence problems in
Bulgaria. 143 In France, doctors working in care
centres specialised in the treatment of
Causes of substance dependence and use
In all of the above cases, it cannot be
determined whether, or to what extent, the
reported dependencies or use were linked to
previous trauma or torture.
15
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