The Impact of Migration on People’s Health

[This text has been written by Ethel Sequeira, predoctoral researcher at ISGlobal and family physician and head of CSR at CAPSBE (Barcelona), and Ana Requena, Assistant Research Professor at ISGlobal]

In recent months, we have been inundated by images of people being displaced from their places of origin for various reasons. We all remember how residents of La Palma in the Canary Islands had to flee as molten lava advanced towards their homes, with little time to decide what to take with them or where to go. Similarly indelible are the images of planeloads of passengers desperately seeking to escape from the Taliban regime in Afghanistan. And in recent weeks, we have been shocked by the endless queues of people fleeing the war in Ukraine, mainly women and children, their sombre faces etched with hopelessness. At the same time, people determined to seek a better life keep trying to scale the border fence surrounding Melilla, while others drown nearly every day in the central Mediterranean and along other maritime migration routes.

In recent weeks, we have been shocked by the endless queues of people fleeing the war in Ukraine, mainly women and children, their sombre faces etched with hopelessness

Examples abound; more than 60 armed conflicts are currently taking place around the world. To make matters worse, climatological conditions in many parts of the world are depriving numerous people of basic necessities. Impoverished economies and glaring inequalities prompt many people to leave their homes in search of a better life—adventurous spirits, people eager for different life experiences, hard-working people seeking new opportunities in distant places. Migration stems from many causes, all of which, in one way or another, affect the people who migrate.

Climate change, natural disasters, political and economic decisions, and failed international relations have a major impact on people’s health, both physically and psychologically. Health risks manifest themselves at three points in time: when the decision is made to migrate, during the migration process, and upon arriving and settling in the host country.

Climate change, natural disasters, political and economic decisions, and failed international relations have a major impact on people’s health, both physically and psychologically

When people are forced to migrate by less-than-ideal living conditions in their place of origin, complex adaptive mechanisms are activated that can help them embark on their migratory journey under better or worse conditions. Thoughtfully and consensually deciding to leave is not the same as having to flee. Migrating under adequate conditions is not the same as facing clear risks to your physical integrity.

The role of children and adolescents is very important in this context. They usually are not the ones making decisions and, in many cases, they may not understand or approve of the decisions made. It is important to explain to young people what is happening in ways they can readily understand and offer tools to help them adjust to their new reality. The fact of having to leave behind people, landscapes and beloved places—possibly forever—looms large at the beginning of the process. The conditions under which the migration will take place—whether it will be alone or as a group, whether there is a final destination and enough resources to get there—are defining factors, as is community support in the place of origin.

Many migratory routes have a huge impact on the health of the people who use them. The conditions under which migrations take place can increase the risks of infectious disease, traumatic injury and psychological impact. Many unsafe routes become breeding grounds for physical, sexual and psychological aggressions, which leave their mark on the affected individuals. The characteristics of the journey, the prevailing weather conditions and the means to cope with them are all determining factors.

Photo: Julie Ricard / Unplash

We Are All Migrants

It is time to redefine the word migrant in a way that encompasses this hidden plurality; instead of a negative connotation, the term should convey strength and value.

It is time to accept that, in a globalised world, we are all migrants. If not now, we could become migrants in the future, as we are currently seeing in Ukraine. It is time to generate empathy and common ground, so that other people’s lives can become more comprehensible to us. And it is time to view migration as an opportunity, not a threat.

It is time to accept that, in a globalised world, we are all migrants. If not now, we could become migrants in the future, as we are currently seeing in Ukraine

The host society plays a fundamental role in the health of people who migrate. The social determinants of the health of the migrant population are determined in part by the society that hosts them, since migrants are at greater risk of social exclusion, unemployment, limited access to health services, and having less of a community and network to rely on.

After everything migrants have been through, having a support network, feeling welcomed and not being afraid once they reach their host country can help them work through the situation. Legal and administrative barriers make the migration process very difficult. Fear of being arrested or sent back to the place you left behind is very limiting. And not being able to access the health system, or not feeling welcomed within it, will only exacerbate health problems. The ability to maintain contact with people back home and somehow recover the flavours, languages and objects that characterise your identity can help to keep you healthy. Having basic needs covered in terms of housing, food, education and work is fundamental to adaptation.

It is very important to account for the particular features of the immigrant population when planning public health measures, including better access to diagnosis and treatment

Therefore, it is very important to account for the particular features of the immigrant population when planning public health measures, including better access to diagnosis and treatment. And it is equally important to consider the diversity of the migrant population, which includes migrant workers, undocumented or detained migrants, refugees, asylum seekers and internally displaced people, among others.

On 7 April, World Health Day, let us reflect on the plight of all migrants and remember that any one of us might have to go through the same process someday.