An Analysis of Migration and Health Nexus

Research to date has shown that with the development of universal human rights within modern states, the distribution of rights and responsibilities between citizens of a nation-state and non-citizens has aimed to be equitable. Yet, this shift has not led to a new era of effective universal human rights. In this sense, migration management is structured around categories that are based on intentions and arrival patterns in the destination, with each category determining who has access to which services and rights. Under this perspective, health moves from being a universal right to a citizenship-related right (Pace, 2011), subject to strict conditions and requirements to be met. Furthermore, immigrants are often depicted as potential welfare scroungers in exclusion discourses, particularly with regard to access to health services (Sollors et al., 2011). Scholars call this “a clash of national interests with global culture” based on universalistic rights (Morris, 2013, p. 76). In light of this theoretical framework and based on in-depth literature and policy analysis, this article addresses how the relationship between health and migration is conceptualised and reproduced at different levels. By examining the role of two key actors in health care provision and access, the general practitioner and the intercultural mediator, the study also analyses the barriers and obstacles to accessing health services according to the legal status and classification of migrants