Time to Rethink Refugee and Migrant Health in Europe: Moving from Emergency Response to Integrated and Individualized Health Care Provision for Migrants and Refugees

Abstract

In the last three years, the European Union (EU) is being confronted with the most significant influx of migrants and refugees since World War II. Although the dimensions of this influx—taking the global scale into account—might be regarded as modest, the institutional response to that phenomenon so far has been suboptimal, including the health sector. While inherent challenges of refugee and migrant (R&M) health are well established, it seems that the EU health response oversees, to a large extend, these aspects. A whole range of emergency-driven health measures have been implemented throughout Europe, yet they are failing to address adequately the changing health needs and specific vulnerabilities of the target population. With the gradual containment of the migratory and refugee waves, three years after the outbreak of the so-called ‘refugee crisis’, we are, more than ever, in need of a sustainable and comprehensive health approach that is aimed at the integration of all of migrants and refugees—that is, both the new and old population groups that are already residing in Europe—in the respective national health systems.

Referrals to secondary care in an outpatient primary care walk-in clinic for refugees in Germany: results from a secondary data analysis based on electronic medical records

“…Healthcare needs could be met independently of the patients age, sex and country of origin. The provided medical care exceeded the often criticised mere emergency care for refugees 39 and included help for severe problems regularly excluded from this patient group, for example, chronic conditions, such as diabetes. However, our physicians sometimes had to refer to specialists, use additional diagnostic devices or arrange hospital admissions in order to provide the medical care needed by their patients.…”

Accessing Sub-Saharan African migrant group for public health interventions, promotion, and research: the 5-wave-approach

“…Although the number of SSA migrants living in Germany continues to increase progressively since the last decade, researchers continue to struggle to access or engage this migrant group in social or health dialogues and interventions. While some have blamed this poor access on inefficient communication and group isolation (Puchner et al, 2018), others believe it to be consequential of the very different socio-cultural background and characteristics of migrants from this region of Africa. It is, however, agreed that the access barrier limits the ability of health-and social care systems to effectively respond to the needs of this migrants population (Scott, 2004).…”

Human rights, sanitation, and sewers

“…Immigration increased 41% between 2000 and 2015 with Europe gaining an average 1.3 million new migrants each year [United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UNESA), 2016]. This influx has challenged the infrastructure of the receiving countries (Puchner et al, 2018) and there have been outbreaks of numerous diseases including those that are carried by contaminated food and water (Mellou et al, 2017).…”