HEALTH
Greek government joins civil society in opening access to COVID-19 vaccines
The Greek Ministry of Health has launched a campaign to improve access to COVID-19 vaccines for undocumented migrants, refugees and other marginalised groups. The initiative follows campaigning led by a coalition of Greek NGOs including INTERSOS Hellas, Greek Forum of Migrants and Greek Forum of Refugees. The campaign aims to ensure that undocumented migrants are aware of their right to access the vaccine; to tackle misinformation, fear and lack of trust in public authorities due to previous insufficient healthcare policies, and to ensure a national vaccination scheme that is inclusive and open to all.
Norwegian Parliament rejects proposal to open access to health care for undocumented
On April 21, the Norwegian Parliament rejected a legislative proposal to improve the provision of health care services to undocumented migrants in Norway. The draft bill aimed to open access to primary health care, including GPs, to undocumented migrants. Currently, health care for undocumented migrants, except children and pregnant women, is limited to emergency care and health care that is necessary and cannot be deferred. In 2020, the UN Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights expressed concerns over Norway’s restrictions on the right to health for irregular migrants and recommended that Norway immediately ensure that undocumented migrants have access to primary health care services, and withdraw the regressive measures taken in 2011 to restrict undocumented migrants’ right to health care.
International calls for universal health coverage, regardless of migration status
Government representatives of Member States of the WHO European, African and Eastern Mediterranean regions adopted a joint outcome statement at the end of the High-Level Meeting on Health and Migration (17–18 March 2022) which indicates that states should “strengthen the provision of universal health coverage, ensuring that all people who are present in the territory of the Member State, regardless of migration or citizenship status, have access to quality health care [...] without exposure to financial hardship”. As the WHO’s current Strategy and Action Plan on migrant health expires in 2022, the outcome statement will help design the vision for refugee and migrant health in the coming years in the WHO European region.
HEALTH
Greek government joins civil society in opening access to COVID-19 vaccines
The Greek Ministry of Health has launched a campaign to improve access to COVID-19 vaccines for undocumented migrants, refugees and other marginalised groups. The initiative follows campaigning led by a coalition of Greek NGOs including INTERSOS Hellas, Greek Forum of Migrants and Greek Forum of Refugees. The campaign aims to ensure that undocumented migrants are aware of their right to access the vaccine; to tackle misinformation, fear and lack of trust in public authorities due to previous insufficient healthcare policies, and to ensure a national vaccination scheme that is inclusive and open to all.
Norwegian Parliament rejects proposal to open access to health care for undocumented
On April 21, the Norwegian Parliament rejected a legislative proposal to improve the provision of health care services to undocumented migrants in Norway. The draft bill aimed to open access to primary health care, including GPs, to undocumented migrants. Currently, health care for undocumented migrants, except children and pregnant women, is limited to emergency care and health care that is necessary and cannot be deferred. In 2020, the UN Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights expressed concerns over Norway’s restrictions on the right to health for irregular migrants and recommended that Norway immediately ensure that undocumented migrants have access to primary health care services, and withdraw the regressive measures taken in 2011 to restrict undocumented migrants’ right to health care.
International calls for universal health coverage, regardless of migration status
Government representatives of Member States of the WHO European, African and Eastern Mediterranean regions adopted a joint outcome statement at the end of the High-Level Meeting on Health and Migration (17–18 March 2022) which indicates that states should “strengthen the provision of universal health coverage, ensuring that all people who are present in the territory of the Member State, regardless of migration or citizenship status, have access to quality health care [...] without exposure to financial hardship”. As the WHO’s current Strategy and Action Plan on migrant health expires in 2022, the outcome statement will help design the vision for refugee and migrant health in the coming years in the WHO European region.