Between Borders and Burdens: Psychological Trauma and Human Security Among Migrants in Transit Countries (Case Studies: Albania and Bosnia-Herzegovina)

Abstract

Executive Summary

In this study, we explore how mental distress affects the overall well-being and sense of safety of migrants living in two transit countries: Albania and Bosnia-Herzegovina. Drawing from both personal interviews and psychological assessments (Harvard Trauma Questionnaire and HSCL-25), the research looks into how long-term legal uncertainty, weak institutional support, and limited access to psychosocial care contribute to ongoing stress and emotional harm. The findings are framed in the broader context of human security, emphasizing that mental health must be recognized as a fundamental dimension of security alongside physical protection and basic needs far beyond national borders. Although Albania and Bosnia-Herzegovina provide the immediate focus, the challenges identified resonate with wider dynamics. Based on these findings, several policy recommendations emerge:

Psychosocial support should become a central part of how countries handle asylum and migration, not just an optional service. National governments, particularly Ministries of Health, should embed psychosocial services into the core of asylum and reception systems.

Legal processes must be made simpler, more transparent, and faster in order to ease the emotional strain caused by long periods of waiting. This will require ministries of interior and justice to coordinate with United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and European Union (EU) institutions to ensure due process and timeliness.

Countries in the Western Balkans need to work together to ensure that migrants across the region receive basic, consistent support for both living conditions and mental health. Regional cooperation mechanisms, facilitated by the International Organizations for Migration (IOM) and EU, should standardize minimum conditions for reception centers and ensure parity across borders.

It is time to move away from short-term emergency responses and start building durable systems that truly support emotional recovery and long-term wellbeing. This implies joint responsibility: national governments need to allocate sustainable funding, local municipalities should establish permanent community-based services, and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) should design culturally adapted programs.