Health Management Models Taking into Account Emergency Care Situations in Inclusion Situations
Major differences emerge in immigrants’ healthcare coverage and ability to access services between countries; Policies often fail to take their specific health needs into account. The inclusion of migrants into the health system of destination countries is becoming an essential component of their integration. Migrant health relates to 15 Target Areas of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals Agenda, with its imperative of “Leaving No One Behind” but health policies qualify as halfway favourable for promoting healthcare coverage and ability to access services for immigrants (49/100) (Solano and Huddleston, 2020). Regional health policies recommend or define that emergency and urgent care should be available to all refugees and migrants throughout the Region, regardless of legal status. Prior to the recent conflicts in eastern Europe and the Middle East, the most common response to mass population movements was to establish camps or settlements; conditions in these camps have varied enormously. a) The most severe health consequences of conflict and population displacement have occurred in the acute emergency phase, during the early stage of relief efforts, and have been characterized by extremely high mortality rates. b) Among refugees and IDPs, many factors might lead to high rates of nutritional deficiency disorders, including prolonged food scarcity prior to and during displacement. c) Communicable diseases: acute, respiratory infections, diarrhoea, measles, and malaria have been most frequently, cited as proximate causes. D) Injuries are widespread in all populations and are responsible for significant mortality, morbidity, and disability. e) Non-communicable diseases. f) Women’s health. g) Mental health (Toole, 2019). Women are a particularly vulnerable subset of the population because the gender-based discrimination that is all too common in stable societies is frequently exacerbated in times of societal stress and meagre resources”.
The EU context that provides the basis of the discussion around the theme of integration of TCNs, the EU integration policy of TCNs is directed by the recast Reception Directive 2013/33/EU which states that: Member States shall ensure that applicants receive the necessary health care which shall include, at least, emergency care and essential treatment of illnesses and of serious mental disorders. Member States shall provide necessary medical or other assistance to applicants who have special reception needs, including appropriate mental health care where needed.” (art. 19, par. 1, 2). Directive 2011/95/EU (art. 30, par. 1, 2) states: “Member States shall ensure that beneficiaries of international protection have access to healthcare under the same eligibility conditions as nationals of the Member State that has granted such protection.
Member States shall provide, under the same eligibility conditions as nationals of the Member State that has granted protection, adequate healthcare, including treatment of mental disorders when needed, to beneficiaries of international protection who have special needs, such as pregnant women, disabled people, persons who have undergone torture, rape or other serious forms of psychological, physical or sexual violence or minors who have been victims of any form of abuse, neglect, exploitation, torture, cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment or who have suffered from armed conflict”.
National laws can conflict with international laws in promoting the fundamental right to health if a person’s migrant status is used to restrict entitlement to national health care services. Frequently, irregular female migrants do not have access to antenatal and postpartum health care services and are often limited to emergency care services. Art. 29 (par 1, 2) of Directive 2011/95/EU protects the right to social care of persons with refugee status and persons under subsidiary protection “Member States shall ensure that beneficiaries of international protection receive, in the Member State that has granted such protection, the necessary social assistance as provided to nationals of that Member State. By way of derogation from the general rule laid down in paragraph 1, Member States may limit social assistance granted to beneficiaries of subsidiary protection status to core benefits which will then be provided at the same level and under the same eligibility conditions as nationals”.
Online Resources
European Parliament, 2011, Directive 2011/95/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 13 December 2011 on standards for the qualification of third-country nationals or stateless persons as beneficiaries of international protection, for a uniform status for refugees or for persons eligible for subsidiary protection, and for the content of the protection granted (recast) 13 December 2011, OJ L 337, 20.12.2011. Brussels: European Parliament.
(https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=celex%3A32011L0095)
The purpose of this Directive is to lay down standards for the qualification of third-country nationals or stateless persons as beneficiaries of international protection, for a uniform status for refugees or for persons eligible for subsidiary protection, and for the content of the protection-granted..
European Parliament, 2013, Directive 2013/33/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 26 June 2013 laying down standards for the reception of applicants for international protection, (recast) 29 June 2013, OJ L 180, 29.6.2013. Brussels: European Parliament.
(https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=celex:32013L0033)
The purpose of this Directive is to lay down standards for the reception of applicants for international protection (‘applicants’) in Member States.
Toole, M. (2019). Health in humanitarian crises, in P. Allotey and D. Reidpath (eds.). The Health of Refugees Public Health Perspectives from Crisis to Settlement. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 54-84
(https://oxford.universitypressscholarship.com/view/10.1093/oso/9780198814733.001.0001/oso-9780198814733-chapter-4)
The author outlines the common causes of morbidity and mortality and the range of medical specializations required to meet the health needs.
Solano, G. and Huddleston, T., 2020, Health: Migrant Integration Policy Index 2020. Barcelona/Brussels: CIDOB and MPG.
(https://www.mipex.eu/health)
The Migrant Integration Policy Index (MIPEX) stimulates debates, informs high-level reports and is used for civil society action on migrant integration policy across the world.