22 Can’t Stay. Can’t Go. Refused asylum seekers who cannot be returned night and disturb his housemates. One night, he mental health issues can affect a person’s ability was in such a state that his housemates took him to deal with gathering evidence or putting a claim to the hospital. A specialist prescribed sleeping together. tablets for him: The Red Cross staff member in Leicester It helped to put those painful things down. I reported: “Well, mental health problems are very used to take those tablets every single night. widespread; I think most of our clients in one way That is the fixing of things, just to get sleep. or another have got some mental health problem.” I took those tablets for years and years. What worries her most is the decline she sees in (Faheem, Palestine) people’s mental health: Faheem still feels broken: What frustrates me, actually, is they become worse here, which is the country where they’re You’re invisible. You don’t exist. They don’t supposed to be finding safety. They actually care if you live or die. A person like me – over get so frustrated with the system that they 40 – should have a family. I don’t have capacity get really depressed. One of my clients has for that. I’m broken inside. (Faheem, Palestine) got psychosis now. Yes, they’ve got really bad situations. A few of them become really Zareb (Sudan) often talks about suicide and cries aggressive – and it’s understandable. (Red at many of his appointments with caseworkers at Cross staff member, Leicester) the Glasgow Red Cross refugee support service. On one occasion, a caseworker accompanied The Red Cross staff member in Teesside also Zareb to hospital because she was concerned commented on the deterioration of people’s about his suicidal thoughts. Zareb has told his mental health. She gave the example of a client caseworkers that he self-harms by banging his she has seen over a number of years: head against a wall. He suffers from nightmares and flashbacks and is a patient of the Community I’d seen how physically and mentally he’d Mental Health Team. He has also disclosed that he declined. And mentally, particularly, how he’d was tortured and he has been referred to Freedom gone downhill; how he was threatening suicide. from Torture for support. He’d done that to me a few times, when you notice someone who’s reached that point Kasim (Iraq) is currently seeing a counsellor every where you think, actually, now I think he’s at week. He admits he thinks about “go some bridge the point where he would do it, because he’s or somewhere and go kill self... better than this got nothing else…. I mean, we all have people life”. we’ve known who have committed suicide. (Red Cross staff member, Teesside) Yeah, too much I’m feeling – too much I’m tired…. I think about my life. I think about my Staff reported various aspects they feel can family, what happen in Iraq…. It’s my head, my negatively affect people’s mental health. One brain, too tired. Too much pain…. I’m feeling, of the Glasgow staff members reported that, this life, I don’t want any more this life. (Kasim, for vulnerable male clients, “being in a night Iraq) shelter has a significant impact on their mental health” (Red Cross staff member, Glasgow 2). A further seven participants reported suffering from The Glasgow Red Cross staff will try to get the chronic stress, insomnia, anxiety and depression. person into alternative accommodation “if they seem vulnerable or have mental health problems”. Concerns of Red Cross staff The Red Cross staff member in Birmingham also All of the Red Cross staff members interviewed worries about the mental health of refused asylum expressed their worries about the mental health of seekers sleeping in night shelters: refused asylum seekers who cannot be returned. They don’t have a place where they can stay One of the Glasgow staff members (Glasgow 1) throughout the day. The night shelter’s great, reported: “Some people have experienced severe but they’re having to wander essentially the trauma and they don’t want to talk about it. They streets for 12 hours of the day, which is very want to focus on the practical stuff.” However, difficult. And the people that they actually when you have mental health issues, dealing socialise with are people in the same situation. with the practical stuff “is in itself traumatic”. The You can see people slightly lose sight of what staff member in Leicester agreed that having they’re doing as well and what they’re wanting