Criticism for Finnish government’s plan to restrict undocumented immigrants’ right to health care

By admin On Jul 31, 2024

A physician examined a patient at the Tyks Lighthouse Hospital in Turku on 15 February 2024. The Finnish government is looking to deny undocumented immigrants access to most health care services, citing the need to balance public finances and protecting the health care system in the face of mass immigration. Its draft proposal has been rejected by a number of authorities, institutions and organisations, reports Helsingin Sanomat. (Laura Ukkonen – Str / Lehtikuva)

A DRAFT BILL to restrict the right of undocumented immigrants to health care has unleashed a flood of criticism from expert organisations, reports Helsingin Sanomat.

Prime Minister Petteri Orpo’s (NCP) government is intent on decreeing that undocumented immigrants, with the exception of children and others in a particularly vulnerable position, have the right to only access urgent health care services.

The proposal would effectively overturn a decision made by its predecessor to expand the health care of undocumented immigrants to necessary care, such as the treatment of chronic diseases, starting in January 2023.

The government has justified the proposal by citing the need to balance public finances and safeguard the capacity of the health care system in the face of mass immigration. It also envisages that the scaling back of rights would reduce illegal entries and stays.

Some 3,000–6,000 people are estimated to be affected by the proposal, according to the government.

Among the authorities, institutes and organisations opposing the proposal are the City of Helsinki, the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare (THL), the Finnish Medical Association, the HUS Group and the Union of Health and Social Care Professionals in Finland (Tehy).

THL, for example, warned in its comment that the bill could result in serious and possibly fatal medical complications, thus infringing on the constitutional right to life and indispensable subsistence and care. It also rebutted the justification as incredible and unacceptable, adding that the proposal could lead to a rise in total health care costs because it is typically more affordable to treat conditions before they have deteriorated to a degree that merits urgent care.

The HUS Group questioned the motives of the government by pointing out that it is difficult to gauge the effects of a piece of legislation that has only been in force for 18 months.

“It creates the impression that the underlying reasons for the proposed legislative amendment have more to do with party politics than actual discernible problems,” argued administrative chief medical officer Teppo Heikkilä and chief medical officer Markku Mäkijärvi of HUS.

The HUS Group and well-being services counties also reminded that undocumented immigrants tend to have a relatively high threshold for accessing health care and are treated in relatively low numbers. This tendency increases the workload of health care personnel trying to rein in a communicable disease, for example, as treating undocumented immigrants would be important to protect the population at large.

The City of Helsinki reminded in its comment that social and health care staff have neither the skills nor training to determine whether a patient is in the country legally, especially if the patient is in the middle of an appeals process.

Tehy, the Finnish Medical Association and the Finnish Red Cross all pointed to the ethical obligations of health care professionals.

“The legislative amendment would not address the objectives set for it, would not create substantial cost savings, would run afoul of human rights obligations and would cause both health risks and ethical stress to care workers and people working with undocumented people,” argued the Finnish Red Cross.

Many also drew attention to the language employed by the government, specifically the phrase ‘people who are in the country illegally’. The Ombudsman for Equality has outlined that it would be more appropriate to speak about residence without a permit.

Aleksi Teivainen – HT

Source: www.helsinkitimes.fi