Implications for psychiatric services of chronic civilian strife: young refugees in the UK

Over the past century war and organised violence have led to the displacement of large populations and threatened or resulted in genocide of many ethnic or cultural groups. Although many people are internally displaced within their own country, some flee and seek asylum in other countries. The United Nations High Commission on Refugees (UNHCR) defines a refugee as someone who: ‘Owing to well-founded fear of being persecuted for reasons of race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group or political opinion, is outside the country of his nationality and is unable or, owing to such fear, is unwilling to avail himself of the protection of that country; or who, not having a nationality and being outside that country of his former habitual residence as a result of such events, is unable or, owing to such fear, is unwilling to return to it’ (UNHCR, 1951: Article 1A(2)).