As of 31 January 2022, more than 46,000 refugees and asylum-seekers are registered with UNHCR India, mainly from Myanmar and Afghanistan.
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Migration and displacement are major factors that affect people's health and wellbeing, not just for refugees and migrants but also for people living in their countries of origin, transit, and final destination. The connection between population growth and health is intricate and dynamic. When someone move from a violent environment to a calm one or from a place with significant unemployment to one with plenty of better-paying, safe jobs, their health can improve. However, when refugees and migrants are subjected to circumstances that jeopardize their health across several migratory periods, poorer health may occur. Migration and displacement may potentially halt the delivery of medical care or treatment, creating difficulties with care continuity. Political controversy has traditionally surrounded the topic of migration (WHO,2022).
A study comparing the health of European nations found that immigrants are more likely to contract infectious diseases, work-related illnesses, poor mental health, injuries, diabetes mellitus, and issues with maternal and child health. HIV, TB, and non-communicable diseases (such as hypertension and diabetes) are more common among non-European migrants .(Lebano et al., 2020)
Kindly discuss the leading health issues faced by Refugees and migrants.
Reference:
1. World Health Organization. (2022). World report on the health of refugees and migrants.
2. Lebano, A., Hamed, S., Bradby, H., Gil-Salmerón, A., Durá-Ferrandis, E., Garcés‐Ferrer, J., Fabienne Azzedine, Riza, E., Pania Karnaki, Zota, D., & Linos, A. (2020). Migrants’ and refugees’ health status and healthcare in Europe: a scoping literature review. BMC Public Health, 20(1). //doi.org/10.1186/s12889-020-08749-8
Posted : October 10, 2023 1:38 am
The International Organization for Migration (IOM) defines a migrant as any person who is moving or has moved across an international border or within a State away from his/her habitual place of residence, regardless of (a) the person’s legal status, (b) whether the movement is voluntary or involuntary, (c) what the causes for the movement are or (d) what the length of the stay is (1). A person who seeks safety from persecution or serious harm in a country other than his or her own and awaits a decision on the application for refugee status under relevant international and national instruments is classified as an asylum seeker. In case of a negative decision, the person must leave the country and may be expelled, as may any non-national in an irregular or unlawful situation, unless permission to stay is provided on humanitarian or other related grounds (2). According to UNICEF report the number of refugees and migrants entering the region via the Mediterranean and Western Balkan routes has increased substantially due to a range of core causes, including conflict and instability, the effects of climate change, and food shortages. National systems in hosting nations remained stretched, making it difficult for governments to maintain equal access to quality services for refugee and migrant communities as well as host communities. Additional challenges are the capacity to provide enough sanitation and hygiene facilities, adequate access to health and protection services, and learning opportunities for children and families, as do insufficient measures to address gender-based violence (GBV) concerns for women and girls. Inadequate processes for identification, referral, case management, and best interest determination, as well as restricted provision of alternative care and legal guardianship services, worsened the vulnerability of children, particularly those who were unaccompanied and separated (3).
References:
1. The Rights and Health of Refugees, Migrants and Stateless Must be Protected in COVID-19 Response. (2021). International Organization for Migration. //www.iom.int/news/rights-and-health-refugees-migrants-and-stateless-must-be-protected-covid-19-response
2. Key migration terms: asylum seeker. International Organization for Migration 2017. www.iom.int/key-migration-
terms.
Posted : October 11, 2023 11:13 am
The topic is absolutely relevant in the present scenario. As per the International Organization for Migration (IOM, part of the United Nations System, India has net migration rate -0.2 migrants/ 1,000 population(2021) and the second-highest remittance-receiving country in the world(India, 2021).Inter state migration is about 58%(Kumar, n.d.).
Refugees and asylum-seekers in India primarily live in urban settings alongside host communities. 46% of the refugees are women and girls, and 36% are children(India | UNHCR, 2022).
An Indian State, Kerala, witness migration from 1970s.State bears both positive and negative impacts. Some of the positive impacts of migration in Kerala are that it alleviates poverty, provides ample economic support and capital investments. Some of the negative impacts are the emotional distress that happens due to separation from families and losing human and labour capital to foreign markets, brain drain, labour shortage, higher crime rate among migrants
Elvis Bisily J. (2023). Internal Migration in India. ELECTRONIC JOURNAL of SOCIAL and STRATEGIC STUDIES, Volume 4 Issue 1, 21–39. //ejsss.net.in/article_html.php?did=14623&issueno=0
.
//www.iom.int/countries/india " target="_blank" rel="noopener">India. (2021). International Organization for Migration. //www.iom.int/countries/india
//www.ies.gov.in/pdfs/Seminar-neerajkumar.pdf " target="_blank" rel="noopener">Kumar, N. (n.d.). Inter-state Migration in India. //www.ies.gov.in/pdfs/Seminar-neerajkumar.pdf
//www.unhcr.org/countries/india " target="_blank" rel="noopener">India | UNHCR. (2022). UNHCR. //www.unhcr.org/countries/india
//ejsss.net.in/article_html.php?did=14623&issueno=0 " target="_blank" rel="noopener">Elvis Bisily J. (2023). Internal Migration in India. ELECTRONIC JOURNAL of SOCIAL and STRATEGIC STUDIES, Volume 4 Issue 1, 21–39. //ejsss.net.in/article_html.php?did=14623&issueno=0
Posted : October 11, 2023 12:36 pm
Health issues faced by refugees and migrants have been the subject of extensive research. On a daily basis they are dealing with a numerous challenges including:
Mental Health, Depression and anxiety among refugees and migrants have been increased. The impact of trauma and displacement on mental health is an invisible issue for such population along with prevalence of infectious diseases such as tuberculosis and HIV among displaced populations.
They have a barriers to accessing healthcare and prevention services such as maternal and child Health access to prenatal and postnatal care.
Reference:
//www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/refugee-and-migrant-health
Posted : October 16, 2023 10:12 am