Impacts of local, provincial, and federal immigration policies on health and social services access among women with precarious immigration status

Abstract

Objectives: Im/migrant women (e.g., non-status immigrants, refugee claimants, students, temporary foreign workers, visitors, and other migrants) face structural barriers to health and social services access. While immigration is an increasingly recognized social determinant of health, there remains a gap in literature on how structural determinants such as immigration policies and practices (e.g., 'status-checking', immigration status) shape im/migrant women's experiences navigating health and social services. This study aimed to examine the ways in which local, provincial, and federal immigration policies shape health and social services access among im/migrant women with precarious status.

Methods: Between December 2018 and February 2020, we conducted and thematically analyzed qualitative in-depth interviews with im/migrant women (N = 51), and service providers (N = 10) across Metro Vancouver. Data were collected as part of the IRIS study, which is a community-based, mixed-methods study of im/migrants' healthcare access prior to and during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Results: Despite policies that purportedly aim to grant access to health and social services in Vancouver regardless of immigration status, participants routinely described ineligibility and fear of detention and/or deportation as pervasive barriers to accessing services, including routine, preventive, and emergency health services, and enrolment of children in schools. Women described social isolation and exclusion as key consequences of federal immigration policies that produced precariousness through temporary and undocumented status. Overall, participants recommended for the elimination of immigration law enforcements and 'status-checking' practices in health and social settings.

Conclusion: Sanctuary City policies are recommended to advance im/migrants' human rights, reduce instances of delayed or denied care, untreated illnesses, and social isolation. Full implementation of Sanctuary principles at the local level (i.e., reduced collaboration between local service providers and federal immigration enforcement) is needed to improve access to health and other services based on need, regardless of immigration status. At the provincial level, elimination of 'status checking' in health settings and expansion of eligibility criteria for health, social, and education programs (e.g., Medical Services Plan, subsidized housing, and BC's School Act) to include all im/migrants should be considered. At the federal level, increased funding for programs that address inequities in health and social services produced by restrictive immigration policies and ensure pathways to more secure immigration status are recommended. Together, these policy reforms have the potential to address the structural barriers to im/migrant women's health and social services access, and ultimately improve overall public health outcomes.

Keywords: Health access; Health inequities; Immigrant health; Immigration policy; Precarious status.