Access to Health Care for Undocumented Migrants

The EU Project “Access to Health Care for Undocumented Migrants” has been co-funded by the European Commission (DG Employment and Social Affairs) in the framework of the European Social Inclusion Strategy.

The overall aim of this project, lead by PICUM, is to improve access to health care for excluded migrant groups.

The objectives of the second working session include

 To get a better understanding of the European Social Inclusion Strategy and its contribution to the fight against social exclusion of undocumented migrants

 To define main health needs and barriers to access health care for a specific target group: undocumented women

 To get to know the current work and activities carried out by project partners

 To develop a common methodology for data collection.

EPHA attended the afternoon session to hear about the work of some of PICUM’s nineteen partners.

Speakers included:

 Pier Franco Olivani - NAGA (Italy): NGO based in Milan providing social assistance and promoting rights of temporarily present migrant, undocumented migrants and refugees. The focus of the presentation was on the advocacy campaign that an Italian network is developing at European level to improve access to health care for undocumented migrants.

 Didier Maille - COMEDE (France): NGO based in Paris promoting access to health care for asylum seekers, rejected asylum seekers and any foreigners who have difficulties to access the health system as well as providing free medical and psychological care.

 Wayne Farah - NEWHAM PRIMARY CARE TRUST (UK): Local health authority based in Newham (London) employing 1,050 staff and providing health care to a population of 243,737 persons.

 Joost den Otter - PHAROS (Netherlands): Organization of health experts based in The Hague providing information on access to health care for undocumented migrants and asylum seekers.