INTRODUCTION:

“Asylum seekers who are victims of human trafficking and torture – women, men and even children who suffered some of the most dreadful torments, ones that words cannot fully describe, and who were victims of some of the most severe crimes that can be made towards human beings – now live in Israel. These victims carry terrible physical and mental scars, and need specialized support and care. The purpose of this report is to draw a picture of the state of these victims, as characterized by ASSAF’s professional team, and the support they receive from our organization. While victims who were recognized by the state of Israel as victims of human trafficking and slavery receive a range of rehabilitative services, support and protection from the state, torture victims who were not recognized as victims of human trafficking and slavery remain without appropriate care. Many of these victims have received, in recent years, help from ASSAF, a non-profit organization providing psycho-social support to asylum seekers in Israel since 2007. ASSAF’s team has developed several tools, responding to the variety of needs of torture victims, focusing on individual psycho-social care and the development of support systems. The nature of the particular needs of this community, as identified by ASSAF, and the various programs we developed to respond to those needs, are the subject of this report.”