IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/spr/joimai/v22y2021i4d10.1007_s12134-021-00821-5.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

The Letter and Spirit of the Law: Barriers to Healthcare Access for Asylum Seekers in France

Author

Listed:
  • Paul May

    (Université du Québec à Montréal)

Abstract

This article focuses on the barriers to healthcare access experienced by asylum seekers in France. Based on data from a qualitative analysis involving 52 semi-structured interviews with asylum seekers, it uses critical race theory (CRT) to understand informal obstacles to healthcare access that are not identifiable in the study of national legislation. Our findings are twofold. First, institutional barriers result from the mismatches between administrative procedures to ensure healthcare access and the real-world concrete difficulties that asylum seekers have to face because of their ethnic and national backgrounds. Second, psychological barriers that hinder refugee from requesting and obtaining proper healthcare (mistrust of public authorities, feeling of discrimination) can be more fully explained by considering the experiences of trauma, insecurity, and marginalization that asylum seekers are forced to endure once they depart from their country of origin. From an academic point of view, this study highlights the importance of including subaltern people in considering the migratory phenomenon, in order to uncover the less visible aspects of discriminatory process. From a political point of view, this study calls for the modification of certain aspects of the asylum procedure which are not suited to the concrete situation of asylum seekers.

Suggested Citation

  • Paul May, 2021. "The Letter and Spirit of the Law: Barriers to Healthcare Access for Asylum Seekers in France," Journal of International Migration and Integration, Springer, vol. 22(4), pages 1383-1401, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:joimai:v:22:y:2021:i:4:d:10.1007_s12134-021-00821-5
    DOI: 10.1007/s12134-021-00821-5
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://link.springer.com/10.1007/s12134-021-00821-5
    File Function: Abstract
    Download Restriction: Access to the full text of the articles in this series is restricted.
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1007/s12134-021-00821-5?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Gunst, M. & Jarman, K. & Yarwood, V. & Rokadiya, S. & Capsaskis, L. & Orcutt, M. & Abbara, A., 2019. "Healthcare access for refugees in Greece: Challenges and opportunities," Health Policy, Elsevier, vol. 123(9), pages 818-824.
    2. Scott, Penelope, 2014. "Black African asylum seekers’ experiences of health care access in an eastern German state," EconStor Open Access Articles and Book Chapters, ZBW - Leibniz Information Centre for Economics, vol. 10(3), pages 134-147.
    3. MacFarlane, Anne & Dzebisova, Zhanna & Karapish, Dmitri & Kovacevic, Bosiljka & Ogbebor, Florence & Okonkwo, Ekaterina, 2009. "Arranging and negotiating the use of informal interpreters in general practice consultations: Experiences of refugees and asylum seekers in the west of Ireland," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 69(2), pages 210-214, July.
    4. Kullgren, J.T., 2003. "Restrictions on Undocumented Immigrants' Access to Health Services: The Public Health Implications of Welfare Reform," American Journal of Public Health, American Public Health Association, vol. 93(10), pages 1630-1633.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Ellen Heidinger, 2021. "Overcoming Barriers to Service Access: Refugees’ Professional Support Service Utilization and the Impact of Human and Social Capital," SOEPpapers on Multidisciplinary Panel Data Research 1151, DIW Berlin, The German Socio-Economic Panel (SOEP).
    2. Ellen Heidinger, 2023. "Overcoming Barriers to Service Access: Refugees’ Professional Support Service Utilization and the Impact of Human and Social Capital," Journal of International Migration and Integration, Springer, vol. 24(1), pages 271-312, March.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. López-Hinojosa, Itzel & Zhang, James & López-Hinojosa, Katherine & Baig, Arshiya A. & Tung, Elizabeth L. & Martinez-Cardoso, Aresha, 2024. "“We have to lie low … that sort of poisons me more and more”: A qualitative study of violent political rhetoric and health implications for Spanish and Chinese speaking immigrants," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 341(C).
    2. Vargas, Edward D., 2015. "Immigration enforcement and mixed-status families: The effects of risk of deportation on Medicaid use," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 57(C), pages 83-89.
    3. Nadiya UKRAYINCHUK & Carine DRAPIER, 2021. "Exhausted migrant effect : La santé des travailleurs immigrés en France," Region et Developpement, Region et Developpement, LEAD, Universite du Sud - Toulon Var, vol. 53, pages 69-100.
    4. Nora Gottlieb & Conny Püschmann & Fabian Stenzinger & Julia Koelber & Laurette Rasch & Martha Koppelow & Razan Al Munjid, 2020. "Health and Healthcare Utilization among Asylum-Seekers from Berlin’s LGBTIQ Shelter: Preliminary Results of a Survey," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(12), pages 1-15, June.
    5. Amuedo-Dorantes, Catalina & Puttitanun, Thitima & Martinez-Donate, Ana, 2013. "How Do Tougher Immigration Measures Impact Unauthorized Immigrants?," IZA Discussion Papers 7134, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    6. Finno-Velasquez, Megan, 2013. "The relationship between parent immigration status and concrete support service use among Latinos in child welfare: Findings using the National Survey of Child and Adolescent Well-being (NSCAWII)," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 35(12), pages 2118-2127.
    7. María Eugenia Socías & Brandon D L Marshall & Inés Arístegui & Virginia Zalazar & Marcela Romero & Omar Sued & Thomas Kerr, 2014. "Towards Full Citizenship: Correlates of Engagement with the Gender Identity Law among Transwomen in Argentina," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 9(8), pages 1-6, August.
    8. Gottlieb, Nora & Schülle, Mirjam, 2021. "An overview of health policies for asylum-seekers in Germany," Health Policy, Elsevier, vol. 125(1), pages 115-121.
    9. Artur Prusaczyk & Magdalena Bogdan & Shlomo Vinker & Mariusz Gujski & Paweł Żuk & Iwona Kowalska-Bobko & Sabina Karczmarz & Joanna Oberska & Katarzyna Lewtak, 2023. "Health Care Organization in Poland in Light of the Refugee Crisis Related to the Military Conflict in Ukraine," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(5), pages 1-15, February.
    10. Alexander Bischoff & Patricia Hudelson, 2010. "Access to Healthcare Interpreter Services: Where Are We and Where Do We Need to Go?," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 7(7), pages 1-7, July.
    11. Viladrich, Anahí, 2012. "Beyond welfare reform: Reframing undocumented immigrants’ entitlement to health care in the United States, a critical review," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 74(6), pages 822-829.
    12. Križ, Katrin & Skivenes, Marit, 2012. "How child welfare workers perceive their work with undocumented immigrant families: An explorative study of challenges and coping strategies," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 34(4), pages 790-797.
    13. Pinika Patel & Sarah Bernays & Hankiz Dolan & Danielle Marie Muscat & Lyndal Trevena, 2021. "Communication Experiences in Primary Healthcare with Refugees and Asylum Seekers: A Literature Review and Narrative Synthesis," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(4), pages 1-18, February.
    14. Catalina Amuedo-Dorantes & Thitima Puttitanun & Ana Martinez-Donate, 2013. "How Do Tougher Immigration Measures Affect Unauthorized Immigrants?," Demography, Springer;Population Association of America (PAA), vol. 50(3), pages 1067-1091, June.
    15. Jaschke, Philipp & Kosyakova, Yuliya, 2020. "Does facilitated access to the health system improve asylum-seekers' health outcomes? : Evidence from a quasi-experiment," IAB-Discussion Paper 201907, Institut für Arbeitsmarkt- und Berufsforschung (IAB), Nürnberg [Institute for Employment Research, Nuremberg, Germany].
    16. Ulrich Trohl & Karoline Wagner & Vivian Kalfa & Sarah Negash & Andreas Wienke & Amand Führer, 2021. "Sick and Tired—Sociodemographic and Psychosocial Characteristics of Asylum Seekers Awaiting an Appointment for Psychotherapy," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(22), pages 1-15, November.
    17. Liz Joseph & Sharif A. Ismail & Meghan Gunst & Kate Jarman & Dina Prior & Matthew Harris & Aula Abbara, 2020. "A Qualitative Research Study Which Explores Humanitarian Stakeholders’ Views on Healthcare Access for Refugees in Greece," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(19), pages 1-17, September.
    18. Akshaya Neil Arya & Ilene Hyman & Tim Holland & Carolyn Beukeboom & Catherine E. Tong & Rachel Talavlikar & Grace Eagan, 2024. "Medical Interpreting Services for Refugees in Canada: Current State of Practice and Considerations in Promoting this Essential Human Right for All," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 21(5), pages 1-25, May.
    19. Marianne Schoevers & Maartje Loeffen & Maria Muijsenbergh & Antoine Lagro-Janssen, 2010. "Health care utilisation and problems in accessing health care of female undocumented immigrants in the Netherlands," International Journal of Public Health, Springer;Swiss School of Public Health (SSPH+), vol. 55(5), pages 421-428, October.
    20. Garcia, Antonio, 2009. "Contextual pathways to Latino child welfare involvement: A theoretical model located in the intersections of place, culture, and socio-structural factors," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 31(12), pages 1240-1250, December.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:spr:joimai:v:22:y:2021:i:4:d:10.1007_s12134-021-00821-5. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.springer.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.