THEMATIC REPORT 2017 TORTURE AND MIGRATION Livelihoods In contexts of migration, people are often alienated and disoriented as they have often had to leave behind most of their resources (material and immaterial). They often do not have support networks such as families or communities and might not even speak the language of the country they are in. Due to their torture trauma, they may be extremely distrustful of persons of authority and might therefore struggle to access basic services. This combination of living in a foreign or new environment with the burden of torture trauma can lead to intense feelings of anxiety and isolation. A person who struggles to sleep and who has emotional difficulties, will not have an easy time integrating in society. These issues do not go away by themselves, and if left unaddressed are often exacerbated. As is shown in Figure 20, most of the clients in this report either survive on low incomes (40 percent) or no incomes (32 percent). This also means that 72 percent of the clients in this report are, in effect, living in or near poverty. Research has consistently shown that financial insecurity severely exacerbates existing mental health conditions. Not having appropriate or sufficient financial resources is also detrimental to the rehabilitation process as it adds considerable instability and anxiety.2 All of the centres that participated in this report noted that poverty and employment were one of the chief concerns of their clients. Figure 19. Income Levels 180 149 150 119 40% 120 32% 90 66 60 18% 37 30 0 10% 0% 0 None Low Medium page 31 High Not known