A CROSS party group of 60 MPs and charities has written to health secretary Matt Hancock urging the government to bring an immediate end to NHS immigration checks and charging migrants for healthcare.
The letter follows a number of tragic cases that have come to light in the last month of undocumented migrants dying from COVID-19 because they are too afraid to seek medical help.
Fear of being deported
The cases highlight migrants’ fear of being deported or evicted if their immigration status is revealed once they seek medical assistance.
Campaigners have highlighted the case of a Filipino man, known only as Elvis, who died last week from suspected coronavirus after not accessing healthcare for fears of being reported to the Home Office.
Elvis, who had lived and worked in the UK as a cleaner for ten years, had suffered from a cough and a fever for two weeks.
His wife, also an undocumented migrants is reported to be suffering from similar symptoms but is also afraid to access healthcare.
Hostile environment policies
The current system NHS charging policy, introduced in 2018 as part of the “hostile environment” policies requires hospital staff to demand proof of entitlement to free healthcare.
MPs and campaigners who signed the letter say that the hostile environment policies that led to the Windrush Scandal are also undermining government efforts to curb the spread of the pandemic.
The letter also follows calls from the British Medical Association, the World Health Organisation, and the United Nations Human Rights Council, for the UK government to ensure that the health of migrants is protected during the coronavirus crisis.
Access to healthcare
One of those who co-ordinated the letter, Streatham MP Bell Ribeiro Addy, said: “I am pleased to be standing with colleagues to protect the rights of migrants and ensure that everybody has access to the healthcare they need during the pandemic.
“The government must listen to frontline health workers and medical organisations calling for immediate action to stop people being deterred from healthcare.”
The NHS was founded on the idea that healthcare should be available to all who need it, regardless of where they’re from or their ability to pay
Bell Ribeiro Addy, MP for Streatham
Addy continued: “The NHS was founded on the idea that healthcare should be available to all who need it, regardless of where they’re from or their ability to pay. The government’s hostile approach to migrants goes against these founding principles.
‘NHS care without fear’
“The government must listen to doctors and ensure that migrants access NHS care without fear.”
Apsana Begum, MP for Poplar and Limehouse said: “It is well documented that charging deters migrants from seeking healthcare. At the best of times that’s unfair. In a pandemic, it’s a disaster for them, their family, and their community.
“If the government is truly committed to tackling coronavirus it would end the Hostile Environment in the NHS.”
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If any one is in the UK illegally then they cannot expect to suddenly be made legal because of the Virus ..nor be given any special status ..if they came illegally to the UK then they take the risk which comes with being illegal . They had the opportunity to claim immigrant status in the first point of arrival in the EU . The Government should NOT give any special status to illegal immigrants ..of course they should be treated ..but still subject to deportation . Doing otherwise sends the wrong message and encourages others to make the dangerous crossing of the Channel.Why do certain MP’s think its OK to give illegal immigrants other status/or allow an additional drain on UK resources? They were NOT elected to try make being an illegal immigrant legal or to encourage other illegal entries ..think about it MP’s ..
If you are not concerned about those individuals for their own wellbeing, be concerned for yourself. This is a public health issue not only an issue for the individuals.
It is very real truth but there is more truth is in secret like some of the undocumented migrant is exploited by sailing their hard labour within the cheap payment for employer but now they are helpless and nowhere to go for seeking help.
It is very praise-worthy at least this voice is hear within the government settings.
Now the top news is that government hired some Romanian fruits pickers to pick up the fruits and vegetables in spite of we having millions of volunteers workers who already signed up for the nation to survive. The fact is that the big issue is denied or mispresented as our country cannot run without a single effort of migrant worker including big field NHS, nursing homes, education centres, pubs, bars, restaurants, hotels, coffee shops, supermarkets, food delivery services, and may be enlarge the list.
So dear brits wake up and clap the migrant contribution and moreover we can think about the undocumented guys who can our part of the contribution in order to their specific skills and qualities.
Yes, with 750,000 volunteers putting their names forward to assist during the COVID crisis, it is strange that they still need to fly in fruit pickers from Romania to do the back-breaking work. So much for Brexit independence. There is something quite distasteful about this country.