International Journal of Health Policy and Management

International Journal of Health Policy and Management

Calls for Stricter Legislation and Fear in the European Immigrant Community: Reflections of the Public Charge Debate Ongoing in the United States; Comment on “A Crisis of Humanitarianism: Refugees at the Gates of Europe”

Document Type : Commentary

Author
Jimmy Efird
Cooperative Studies Program Epidemiology Center, Health Services Research and Development, DVAHCS (Duke Affiliate), Durham, NC, USA
10.15171/ijhpm.2019.97
Abstract
In the editorial, “A Crisis of Humanitarianism: Refugees at the Gates of Europe,” Marianna Fotaki elegantly highlights the changing dynamics of governmental policy toward refugees, forced migrants into Europe and the move away from the principles of humanitarianism.1 The perceived threats to economy, security, and concerns of globalization and multiculturalism often are manifested as a “cry of wolf ” about alleged health risks. This in effect has raised concerns of inadmissibility on health-related grounds and calls for stricter legislation for determining who is eligible for legal permanent residence, precipitated in part by the “public charge” debate occurring in the United States.2 As Marianna notes “anti-migration rhetoric is now a permanent fixture of European politics.”
Keywords
Refugees
Immigrants
Public Charge
Subjects
  1. Fotaki M. A crisis of humanitarianism: Refugees at the gates of Europe. Int J Health Policy Manag. 2019;8(6):321-324. doi:10.15171/IJHPM.2019.22
  2. Hong M, Varghese R, Jindal C, Efird J. Refugee policy implications of U.S. immigration medical screenings: a new era of inadmissibility on health-related grounds. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2017;14(10):E1107. doi:10.3390/ijerph14101107
  3. U.S. Citizen and Immigration Services. Public Charge. https://www.uscis.gov/greencard/public-charge.  Accessed July 28, 2019.
  4. National Immigration Law Center. Public Charge (revised October 2013). https://www.nilc.org/issues/economic-support/pubcharge/.  Accessed July 28, 2019.
  5. Geddes A. The history of smallpox. Clin Dermatol 2006;24(3):152-157. doi:10.1016/j.clindermatol.2005.11.009
International Journal of Health Policy and Management
Volume 9, Issue 3
March 2020
Pages 119-120

  • Received Date 29 July 2019
  • Revised Date 18 October 2019
  • Accepted Date 18 October 2019
  • First Published Date 01 March 2020
  • Published Date 01 March 2020