The nexus of immigration regulation and health governance: a scoping review of the extent to which right to access healthcare by migrants, refugees and asylum seekers was upheld in the United Kingdom during COVID-19.
Public Health
; 232: 21-29, 2024 Jul.
Article
em En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-38728905
ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVES:
Complementing the well-established evidence base on health inequalities experienced by migrants, refugees and asylum seekers in the UK; we examined the extent to which their right to equal non-discriminatory access to health services (promotive, preventive, curative) was upheld during the COVID-19 pandemic. STUDYDESIGN:
Arksey and O'Malley's scoping review framework.METHODS:
A comprehensive search was conducted on Medline, PubMed, and CINAHL using detailed MESH terms, for literature published between 01 January 2020 and 01 January 2024. The process was supported by a ten-page Google search and hand searching of reference lists. 42 records meeting the inclusion criteria were charted, coded inductively and analysed thematically in an integrated team-based approach.RESULTS:
Dissonance between immigration regulation and health governance is illustrated in four themes Health systems leveraged to (re)enforce the hostile environment; Dissonance between health rights on paper and in practice; Structural failures to overcome communication and digital exclusion; and COVID-19 vaccine (in)equity exacerbated fear, mistrust and exclusion. Migrants, refugees and asylum seekers encountered substantial individual, structural and policy-level barriers to accessing healthcare in the UK during COVID-19. Insecure immigration status, institutional mistrust, data-sharing and charging fears, communication challenges and digital exclusion impacted heavily on their ability to access healthcare in an equitable non-discriminatory manner.CONCLUSIONS:
An inclusive and innovative health equity and rights-based responses reaching all migrants, refugees and asylum seekers are warranted if the National Health Service is to live up to its promise of 'leaving no one behind' in post-pandemic and future responses.Palavras-chave
Texto completo:
1
Coleções:
01-internacional
Base de dados:
MEDLINE
Assunto principal:
Refugiados
/
Migrantes
/
COVID-19
/
Acessibilidade aos Serviços de Saúde
Limite:
Humans
País/Região como assunto:
Europa
Idioma:
En
Revista:
Public Health
Ano de publicação:
2024
Tipo de documento:
Article