The longstanding conflicts in disrupted societies in the Middle East and eastern Africa have forced millions of civilians to flee their countries leading to the largest migration wave since world war II. According to the UNHCR, in the year 2018, more than 68.5 million people live in external or internal situation of displacement, the highest number since recording begun in 1951. Refugees flee their home countries due to war, internal conflict, threat to their lives and those of their families, experiences of violence and inability to provide food and shelter to themselves and their families. The reasons for leaving one’s country are different and complex, including political, logistic, economic and social factors. This decision is often taxing and frequently seen as unavoidable, thus, representing a major life event for all affected. In this symposium we will focus on mental health care of refugees and asylum seekers. The first speaker Rafi Youngmann (Israel) will talk about “Refugees and asylum seekers over the world: psychosocial context and mental health”, the second speaker Hasanen Al-Taiar (UK) will talk about “Mental health of refugees and asylum seekers: an update”, the third speaker Hans Rohlof (Netherlands) will focus on „Therapy-patient relationship in a cross-cultural setting“ and the last speaker Sofie Bäärnhielm (Sweden) will speak about „Training of health professionals to cope with mental ill health among refugees and asylum seekers. Experiences from Sweden“. All presentations will be discussed with the plenum.