This article examines identity crises among Ethiopian migrants in Europe who adopt an Eritrean identity as a survival strategy within restrictive asylum regimes and tightly regulated diaspora networks (Sinatti & Horst, 2015; Vink & Meijerink, 2003). Using a mixed-methods research design integrating surveys (N = 120), semi-structured interviews (n = 30), focus groups, and in-depth case studies conducted in Germany and Sweden, the study analyzes the socio-political, economic, and psychological drivers of identity adoption and its consequences (Hepner, 2015; Belloni, 2019). Findings indicate that while identity substitution improves asylum outcomes and access to diaspora resources, it generates significant psychological costs, including identity dissonance, anxiety, depression, fear of exposure, and social withdrawal (McEwen et al., 2021). The article argues that identity adoption among Ethiopian migrants constitutes coerced adaptability rather than free choice, shaped by structural inequalities embedded within asylum governance and diaspora gatekeeping practices.
Keywords: Coerced identity; asylum policy; Ethiopian migrants; Eritrean diaspora; psychological distress; Europe.
Citation: Alemayehu, M. H., & Ali, A. M. (2026). Coerced Identity and Psychological Distress: Eritrean Identity Adoption among Ethiopian Migrants in Europe. J Psychol Neurosci; 8(3):1-3.
DOI : https://doi.org/10.47485/2693-2490.1165