A qualitative study of refugee families’ experiences of the escape and travel from Syria to Sweden

OBJECTIVE: Research shows that, depending on the route of travel during the escape, the journey presents the refugees with different health risks. Traumatic events during flight may have long-lasting physical and psychological effects on the refugee children. Therefore, it is important to illuminate the experiences that refugee families arriving in Sweden have endured during their flight. A qualitative study was conducted through interviews with fifteen recently arrived Syrian refugee families. RESULTS: The parents described different reasons as to why they as families had to escape the war. Some families had lost jobs and loved ones in the war and did not want their children to die as well. They mentioned that the journeys varied between 10 and 40 days and were usually filled with struggles and threats. The escape to Sweden was expressed as an emotionally trying journey. Many parents talked about the fear and terror the children felt. Traumatic events during the escape, such as separation from family, death of family members, sexual violence, kidnapping or extortion may have long-lasting physical and psychological effects on the refugee children and their families. Therefore, health care workers meeting and caring for these families after arrival must pay close attention to that.