Staff Exposed to Asylum Seekers' Traumatic Stories at Risk of Anxiety, Depression and Insomnia - 13/08/2026

Staff processing asylum applications are at risk of anxiety, depression and insomnia due to exposure to traumatic personal stories and graphic material.A formal risk assessment at the International Protection Office found staff could experience emotional distress and “empathy fatigue” because of the nature of their work.It warned psychological injuries could build over time or result from a single exposure to particularly disturbing material. Staff can encounter traumatic content while interviewing applicants, reading case files or viewing images.Measures to protect employees include rotating them away from sensitive material and taking account of the number and type of cases they handle.We heard more about this on The Agenda this morning. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.