PUBLICATIONS

 

· Undocumented Immigrants and Rights in the EU: Addressing the Gap between Social Sciences Research and Policy-making

Undocumented migrants are one of the most vulnerable groups in the EU. This report assesses the main findings and synergies of a selection of EU-funded research projects on irregular immigration and the status of undocumented migrants. It reveals that the results emanating from social science research contrast with the EU policy documents adopted in light of the forthcoming Stockholm Programme – the third multi-annual programme on an Area of Freedom, Security and Justice. The authors argue that acknowledgement of the findings of independent research is lacking in EU policy, which continues promote a control-based approach to migration that has profound ethical and human rights implications. The report concludes with a set of policy recommendations aimed at overcoming the current inconsistencies in EU and national policies as well as in practices on irregular migration under the mandate of the Stockholm Programme.

 

 

· Immigrants struggle with declining health

It is well established that immigrants and refugees are healthier than the general Canadian population when they arrive, but their health declines after they start living in Canada, said Dr. Kevin Pottie, co-director of the Immigrant Health Program at the Elisabeth Bruyère Research Institute in Ottawa. Changes in diet and exercise habits and vitamin D deficiency may all contribute to those health problems. Source: CBC NEWS

 

 

· ‘The mental health of detained asylum seeking children’.

European Union policy is to restrict the entry into the EU of asylum seekers. This has resulted in the detention of many thousands of asylum seekers including children and adolescents in prison-like environments. The available evidence suggests this practice is associated with high levels of psychological distress, anxiety, affective and posttraumatic stress disorder, and deliberate self-harm. Significant numbers of detained asylum seekers are released and some would benefit from contact with child mental health professionals. It is suggested that in keeping with EU policy aims alternatives to detention should be sought. Source : Hodes M., European Child Adolescent Psychiatry, 2010.

 

 

· ‘HIV Infection among ‘Illegal’ Migrants, Italy, 2004 – 2007’

A recent study by Italian public health researchers into HIV infections among undocumented migrant women has highlighted the prominent role of social determinants of HIV infections, including immigration status, living and working conditions. Preventive educational campaigns rarely reached migrant communities because of logistic, cultural, and language barriers resulting in a poor knowledge among many undocumented migrants regarding HIV transmission. The majority of undocumented migrants with HIV/AIDS were found to have acquired infection after the migration process. The research recommends improved health education and free access to HIV testing and care for undocumented migrants. Sources: PICUM, January-February 2010 Newsletter; M. Pezzoli et al, ‘HIV Infection among ‘Illegal’ Migrants, Italy, 2004 – 2007’, Emerging Infectious Diseases, 15(11), November 2009. Available here.

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