Right to health care for vulnerable migrants

Abstract

In your Editorial,1The LancetVulnerable migrants have a right to health.Lancet. 2007; 370: 2Google Scholar you call on the UK government to learn from other EU countries in order not to deny migrants, irrespective of their legal status, access to health care. We welcome such a progressive, inclusive health policy, which should be embedded in the constitution. A Dutch state report concluded that fears surrounding medical “tourism” are unfounded.2Smeets RMW de Beaufort ID Entzinger H Medische aspecten van het vreemdelingenbeleid. Landelijke Commissie Medische Aspecten van het Vreemdelingenbeleid, Nijmegen2004Google Scholar In the Netherlands, as well as in several other EU countries, migrants have limited access to health care, and sometimes no access at all without the assistance of civil-society and non-governmental organisations.3Caritas EuropaMigration, a journey into poverty? Caritas Europa, Brussels2006http://www.caritas-europa.org/code/EN/abou.asp?Page=493Google Scholar The UN Special Rapporteur on the right to health, in his 2006 address to the Swedish government,4AnonVisit of UN Special Rapporteur on the right to the highest attainable standard of health, to Sweden from 10–18th January 2006.http://www.humanrights.se/upload/files/2/Nyheter/Sweden%20press%20conference%20revised%20remarks%2019%20Janaury%202006.pdfGoogle Scholar concluded that Swedish health policy regarding asylum seekers and undocumented migrants is inconsistent with international human rights law. UN treaties and EU instruments on human rights relevant to undocumented migrants have been summarised in an excellent overview,5Platform for International Cooperation on Undocumented MigrantsUndocumented migrants have rights! Brussells: PICUM, 2007.http://www.picum.org/Google Scholar and the results of a study by the Platform for International Cooperation on Undocumented Migrants (PICUM) in 12 EU countries on access to health care for undocumented migrants will be launched this month. Preliminary results show a serious difference between de jure and de facto access in most countries. We urge all EU country governments to acknowledge explicitly their responsibility for the health care of each person residing on their soil and to guarantee these individuals' rights to necessary health care. If such responsibilities are not accepted, serious human rights violations will continue, and further harm will be done to vulnerable people who not only have a right to health but to social inclusion. Governments, and not only in the EU, should respect, protect, and fulfil these rights. Last but not least there should be progressive realisation and never retrogression as is the case in the UK. We declare that we have no conflict of interest.