Equality and Human Rights Commission report on healthcare and asylum seekers

The Equality and Human Rights Commission has released a new report that highlights the experiences of people both seeking and refused asylum accessing healthcare in the UK. The report finds that

• Both policy and implementation present barriers to access to healthcare
• The fear of detention/deportion, or of being billed, discourages people from seeking healthcare
• Many staff have been insufficiently trained in dealing with asylum issues and have wrongly denied care to those in need

The report also highlights that many asylum seekers rely on charities and other voluntary organisations to meet needs not covered by asylum policy, as well as to help them navigate the asylum system and gain to access healthcare.

The full report can be read here.