Bread for the City Launches Asylum Medical Clinic

by Dave Bennion · 2009-06-02 19:36:00 UTC
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D.C.-area community services agency Bread for the City recently launched an after-hours medical clinic to assist asylum-seekers in obtaining vital medical evaluations to support their asylum claims.  As Jones Day attorney and pro bono program director Laura Parcher points out, asylum cases

". . . can take a long time. [Asylum seekers] can’t afford an apartment or food, let alone a lawyer, doctor, or therapist. Pro bono assistance is critically important for them to be able to present a case to the court.”

To apply for asylum, refugees must essentially prove their claims of persecution – often times through the physical evidence present on their own bodies. This process can entail a lengthy and resource-intensive medical examination, requires extensive, legally-appropriate write-ups, and the doctors might even need to provide testimony in court. Furthermore, they must have the psychological capacity to engage with deep trauma.

"An exam can get extremely emotional," says Dr. Randi. "People are unburdening their souls."

As a result, it can be very difficult to find doctors who are willing to perform this work.

But it is crucial and rewarding work.  If you are an asylum-seeker in the area or know one, visit Bread for the City's website.  If you know a doctor with the expertise to assist people who've experienced some terrible things, please take a moment to share this message.

(See also Bread for the City's recent guest post at Natasha's Sustainable Food blog.)

Dave Bennion
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