The Joint Council for the Welfare of Immigrants have published research on access to healthcare for migrants during covid-19. Their report finds evidence of significant barriers.
Below is an excerpt from their research report.
‘Almost half of all the migrants surveyed (43%) said they would be scared to access healthcare if they got sick during this pandemic. We did not ask for ethnicity information but 60% of migrants from Africa and the Caribbean report being fearful of seeking healthcare. 56% of Asian respondents said they would be scared. This is compared to just 16% of respondents originating from North America, Australasia and Europe. Given that there is evidence that BME populations are being vaccinated at far lower rates than the rest of the population, these findings are extremely concerning. We have also seen that BME populations are dying of the disease at higher rates, and that this cannot be explained by underlying health conditions.’
