Caring for Refugees, New Immigrants, and Uninsured Women

Abstract

This chapter considers ethical issues related to care of immigrant women and refugees. Even in a country like Canada with a “universal” public healthcare system and a humanitarian history of opening its doors to refugees and immigrants, inconsistent and fragmented policies leave large gaps in healthcare access for refugees and immigrant women. These, in turn, result in harms to the health, safety, and potential life opportunities and trajectories for women and girls new to the country. This chapter identifies these gaps and insists that healthcare access must become a central part of the broader conversation on social responsibility to refugees, women, and their families. The issues raised in the Canadian context have applicability to international jurisdictions.