“It's Like Damocles' Sword”: Australian Service Provider Perspectives on the Impact of Temporary Visas on Mental and Physical Health for Refugees and Asylum Seekers

This study highlights the debilitating impacts of temporary visas on both mental and physical health, and the necessity to provide greater certainty to asylum seekers and refugees. SO WHAT?: Although the current Australian government has transferred many humanitarian temporary visa holders to permanent visas, temporary humanitarian visas remain available for use in the future. Moreover, many asylum seekers will remain on short-term bridging visas. The findings from this study stress the imperative of considering the mental and physical health consequences of immigration policy decisions for asylum-seeker and refugee populations. A deeper understanding of the interplay of components within the temporary visa pathway highlights multiple foci for future research and preventative intervention priorities.