Migrants fleeing Libya and suffering psychological stress will not
be able to fully recover without continuous care once they have
returned home or are resettled to another country, says IOM.

Of the nearly 1.2 million people who have fled Libya since the
start of the crisis in February, more than 603,000 are migrants,
many of whom have lived through traumatic experiences as they
escaped the violence.

They display fear; disorientation; anger and sadness because of
direct or indirect experiences of violence, the abrupt changes in
daily routines and life plans and the stress and dangers of fleeing
Libya and ending up in a transit country as well as experiencing
frustrations related to an unplanned return home with no
livelihood.

In addition, many tens of thousands of sub-Saharan Africans have
had to cope with abuses and ill-treatment that took place in Libya
prior to the conflict and with the targeting of Chadians in
particular over claims they were mercenaries.

Many of those needing follow-up care are women and children.
However, there are now increasing numbers of men in need of such
attention. Their reactions can be very extreme sometimes but
usually with consistent support they begin to relax and begin
trusting other people again.

"We cannot underestimate the depth of fear, uncertainty and
stress that the upheaval from Libya, a country where many migrants
have been living and working for decades, is causing. It's not just
about what they witnessed or endured during their flight, but also
because they have been forced to give up their homes and jobs with
nothing to go back to," says Guglielmo Schininà, Head of
IOM's Global Mental Health, Psychosocial Response and
Inter-cultural Communication Section.

IOM has been providing basic forms of emotional support,
including psychological first aid, active listening, and group
sessions to help those migrants arriving at border areas in Egypt
and Tunisia and those returning to Niger and Chad.

These activities include psychiatric referral and follow-up for
those with pre-existing psychiatric conditions or those who have
been affected by the violence in a way that makes them unable to
function. However, for the vast majority of people, what is needed
is just a word of reassurance, clear information and a venue to
express freely their concerns and sadness.

Nevertheless, assistance at transit areas such as border points
can only be limited in scope and time as the vast majority of
migrants return to their home countries which often have poor
mental health systems if any.

"There is a serious need to look at the psychological challenges
people face upon return home and what follow-up support there is
for them. It is a challenge.  But we need to ensure that there
is a continuity of care; that communities and families are educated
on the issues so they understand what the migrants have gone
through and what they are now facing. We also have to ensure that
reintegration is somehow linked to regaining a livelihood. Without
this support, how can people recover and resume a normal,
productive life?" adds Schininà.

In Niger and Chad, which between them have seen about 160,000
migrants return, IOM is currently involved in assessment and
support activities.

"Providing assistance in transit countries without a follow-up
once they are at home can be counter-productive and even damaging,"
states Schininà.

However, funding for these kinds of issues and activities
remains worrying low.

For further information, please contact:

Gulli Schininà

IOM Geneva

Tel: +41 22 717 9497

E-mail: "mailto:gschinina@iom.int">gschinina@iom.int