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Asylum healthcare under review

02/12/2007

The Home Office and Department of Health are conducting a review into the healthcare provided to asylum seekers and illegal immigrants.

The Observer reports that the government is considering the feasibility of barring immigrants from all services except emergency medical care.

Experts told the paper that proposals to limit hospital services available to foreigners could inflame tensions and raise human rights concerns.

Speaking to the paper, Jill Rutter, a senior research fellow at the Institute for Public Policy Research, said: "This will increase community tensions. What signals are going to be sent out if queues of asylum seekers are waiting at accident and emergency departments because they can't register with a GP?"

She added: "The government is in danger of normalising what many people will see as a breach of human rights - someone's right to basic health care provision.

"The government is saying people who aren't entitled to healthcare should pay for it but asylum seekers are the very people who can't afford to pay for these services."

The Home Office confirmed that a joint review was underway saying that "the rules governing access to the NHS by foreign nationals" were being considered.

It added that no decisions had been taken yet and that proposals were still being pondered over.