Africa hosts over 30 million forcibly displaced people, including 7.8 million refugees and asylum seekers, mainly due to conflicts and instability. Top hosting countries are Uganda (1.5 million), Sudan (1.1 million), Ethiopia (880,000), Kenya (610,000), and Chad (580,000). Despite resource challenges, countries like Uganda are praised for progressive policies supporting refugee integration (Kalyegira, 2023). In the context of the refugee crisis in Africa, addressing the mental health of asylum seekers and migrants is critical. Refugees face multiple challenges, including pre-migration trauma, migration-related stress, and post-migration struggles such as legal uncertainty, discrimination, and poor living conditions. These challenges often undermine the satisfaction of basic psychological needs, which is essential for psychological well-being (Kalyegira, 2022). Additionally, the perceptions and attitudes of host communities significantly impact refugees' integration and mental health (Hellmann et al., 2021). Kalyegira, Kühnen, and Boehnke (2025) found that satisfying basic psychological needs, especially autonomy and relatedness, is key to refugees' well-being, and that refugees develop diverse coping mechanisms. Community-based interventions, task-shifting approaches, and culturally sensitive psychosocial programs have shown promise in bridging this gap. Advocacy for faster asylum processes and inclusive healthcare policies is essential to reduce stress and improve well-being. Receiving communities play a pivotal role in supporting or hindering integration. Positive actions such as inclusive services, employment opportunities, and awareness campaigns can foster belonging, while hostility and exclusion worsen isolation and mental health challenges. Strengthening community-based coping mechanisms and fostering dialogue between refugees and host populations is vital. Recommendations for effective practices include integrating MHPSS services into humanitarian responses, training local mental health workers, and ensuring sustainable referral pathways. Collaborative research and evidence-based policies, as highlighted in Kalyegira (2022) and Hellmann et al., are critical to improving mental health support and promoting integration.