Discriminatory, racist and xenophobic policies and practice against child refugees, asylum seekers and undocumented migrants in European health systems

Abstract

Child refugees, asylum seekers and undocumented migrants who have been forcibly displaced from their countries of origin have heightened health needs as a consequence of their migration experiences. Host countries have a duty to respond to these needs, yet across Europe we are seeing a rise in potentially harmful discriminative, hostile and restrictive migration policies and practices. Research exploring the role racism, xenophobia and discrimination in European health systems may play in child migrant health inequities is lacking. This Personal View seeks to highlight this knowledge gap and stimulate discourse on how discrimination in health information systems, data sharing practices, national health policy, healthcare entitlements, service access, quality of care, and healthcare workers attitudes and behaviours may infringe upon the rights of, and impact the health of child refugees, asylum-seekers and undocumented migrants. It calls for action to prevent and mitigate against potentially harmful policies and practices.

Keywords: Child; Discrimination; Health inequity; Health policy; Migrant; Racism; Xenophobia.

Fig. 1

Actions to reduce child migrants' experience of racism, xenophobia and discrimination in the context of healthcare, mapped within Devakumar and colleagues' conceptual model on racism, xenophobia, discrimination, and health.