Denunciation: a new threat to access to health care for undocumented migrants.

Abstract

In February last year I went to a European meeting on the care of destitute migrants.1 There are estimated to be 2.6 to 6.4 million across the European Union (0.5% to 1% of the population of the EU)2 and half a million such undocumented migrants in the UK.3 The hospitality industry in the south east of England depends heavily on them, so that one person's illegal immigrant is another person's helpful waiter.4 The situation of these migrants in the UK has recently been described in good qualitative research.5 As the conference was running, thousands of migrants were landing on the Italian island of Lampedusa to avoid the Libyan crisis. I will first review what is already established about access to health care for undocumented migrants, then describe a new threat highlighted at this conference; denunciation. The current situation regarding the health care of legal migrants in the EU has been well described by two officials from the International Organisation for Migration (IOM): > ‘European countries face a threefold situation of: (i) constant migrant flows, (ii) health services and practices that are largely inaccessible or unused by migrant populations and often ill-suited to migrants' needs and (iii) higher vulnerability of migrants and their children to ill health due to negative socioeconomic circumstances. On the other hand, protection of migrants' health and their access to quality health care are recognised as: (i) a human right and a basic entitlement according to EU values; (ii) vital to migrants' integration and critical to reduce poverty and (iii) essential for social cohesion, good public health and the wellbeing of all.’6 Where the migrant is legal the EU is committed to improving access …