PICUM REPORT Access to Health Care for Undocumented Migrants in Europe by Eve Geddie 9th October 2008
UNDOCUMENTED MIGRANTS HAVE RIGHTS! Many people think that undocumented migrants have no rights since they are living without permission to legally reside in a country which is not their own THIS IS A MYTH ! PICUM promotes respect for the basic social rights of undocumented migrants.
Access to Health Care for Undocumented Migrants in Europe PARTNERS Local Authorities NGOs Health care providers COUNTRIES Austria Belgium France Germany Hungary Italy Netherlands Portugal Spain Sweden United Kingdom
Legal entitlements to health care 1. All care provided only on payment basis Austria, Sweden 2. Free health care in very limited cases Hungary, Germany 3. Wider coverage but legislation rather ambiguous and unclear UK, Portugal 4. “Parallel” administrative systems France, Belgium, Netherlands 5. Wide public health care coverage Spain, Italy 5 DISTINCT SITUATIONS
Practical barriers in Italy Inconsistent implementation of the law Ambiguous terms (‘cure urgenti’) Extralegal requirements Undocumented migrants - unaware of their rights - fear detection Payment of fee for ‘ticket’ Result: increased pressure on civil society to bridge gaps
International Human Rights Standard ‘The right to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health’ - Article 12 I.C.E.S.C.R. Key aspects Accessibility Non-discrimination
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