Migration policies versus public health – the ethics of Covid-19 related movement restrictions for asylum seekers in reception centers in Greece in 2020

Abstract

Background The emergency context of the Covid-19 pandemic necessitated the use of national and international public health measures of unprecedented scale to minimize mortality and morbidity, often in conflict with other principles and rights, such as the autonomy of individuals. Concerns have been voiced that for populations facing precarity, such as migrants, a disproportionate and unfair application of restrictive measures, deficient application of protective measures, and even enforcement of restrictive migration policies under the pretext of the pandemic has occurred. Methods Various principles have been proposed as moral foundations of public health interventions. The author used two public health ethics frameworks to examine the acceptability of movement restrictions on asylum seekers residing in refugee camps in Greece from March 2020 to October 2020. Results Most of the principles described in the frameworks for the ethical application of movement restrictions were not adhered to. Main concerns include that, measures were prolonged despite lack of evidence about their effectiveness to reduce morbidity and mortality, while posing severe and disproportionate burdens for this population. Conclusions An ethically acceptable public health response to Covid-19 is incompatible with certain living conditions of refugees, asylum seekers, and migrants. The question of whether and if so the extent to which the discipline of public health inherently has the role of rectifying existing injustices and social inequalities when these can be convincingly related to health outcomes, is central to the design of public health interventions for these populations. The answer can exemplify the need to address moral and political determinants of health. It is essential for public health professionals to be aware of the moral theorizations that underpin their work, so as to ensure that their policies are aligned with those and to contribute to the debate that shapes these determinants.