Audience publique au Parlement européen

"Restreindre l'accès aux soins des femmes enceintes et des enfants sans autorisation de séjour, c'est encourager les inégalités de santé en Europe"

 

8 Décembre 2010, 16.00-18.00

Parlement européen, Bruxelles- Salle ASP A3G2

 

The hearing, hosted by several political groups and carried out in partnership with MDM, the Platform for International Cooperation on Undocumented Migrants (PICUM), the European Women's Lobby (EWL) and the European Anti-Poverty Network (EAPN), brought together experts from EU institutions and civil society to discuss the main barriers faced by undocumented migrants to accessing health care in Europe, with a special focus on undocumented women and children.

 

This hearing aimed to feed into the debate about health inequalities the situation faced by particularly vulnerable groups; and to explore the potential of EU policies in the fields of public health, social inclusion and children's rights to tackle the situation faced by undocumented migrants.

 

Médecins du Monde and the HUMA network see through their programmes that, due to their irregular migration status, undocumented migrants in Europe suffer disproportionate levels of poverty, exploitation, poor health and gender-related violence. As a means of fighting irregular migration, many member states have resorted to placing severe restrictions on the fundamental rights - namely the right to health - of their most vulnerable group of migrants. The legislative and practical barriers facing undocumented migrants in accessing these rights drive them into a situation of destitution : not only are these policies grossly ineffective in their aim to curb irregular migration, but they also pose a significant threat to public health strategies and to a cost-effective use of the public resources.

 

For Médecins du Monde and the HUMA network, access to health care for undocumented migrants and in particular for children and pregnant women, is a vital concern in terms of fundamental rights but also in terms of public health.

 

 

Téléchargez:

 

- Le compte rendu de l'audience publique (en anglais)

 

- Le communiqué de presse

 

- Le programme de l'audience

 

 

 

 

 

 

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