Refugees and Remote Populations Refuge or retrauma? The impact of asylum seeker status on the wellbeing of East Timorese women asylum seekers residing in the Australian community.

Objective: To summarise findings from interdisciplinary research into the experiences of East Timorese women asylum seekers residing in the Australian community, and specifically to highlight the effects of prolonged asylum seeker status on wellbeing. ‘Wellbeing’ was defined as a holistic state that includes psychological, physical, spiritual, social and cultural welfare and contentment. Methods: A qualitative multimethod data collection tool comprised semistructured interviewing of East Timorese women asylum seekers, questionnaires to professional workers assisting East Timorese asylum seekers at the community level, and an analysis of secondary source material. Results: Insecurity of tenure and living with the fear of forced removal from Australia was found to have significantly affected and dangerously compromised the wellbeing of the asylum seekers. The findings further revealed a flaw in current social policy with respect to the length of time asylum seekers could reside in the community without adequate supports, services and avenues for social inclusion. Conclusions: The research illustrated the necessity for faster processing of claims for asylum seeker status, recognition of the effects of torture and trauma on asylum seekers in policy, and consequently immediate access for asylum seekers to essential and gender specific supports and services. The research provides evidence to support the East Timorese asylum seekers’ claim to permanent status in Australia on humanitarian grounds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]