Position of refugee doctors and dentists in member countries

Recommendation 253 (1960)

Author(s):

Parliamentary Assembly

Origin

Assembly debate on 26th September 1960 (15th Sitting) (see Doc. 1211, Report of the Committee on Population and Refugees). Text adopted in the Assembly on 26th September 1960 (15th Sitting), after amendment.

Assembly,

Wishing to make further contribution to World Refugee Year by facilitating the exercise of liberal professions by refugees ;

Having noted the Report on the position of refugee doctors and dentists in member countries of the Council of Europe (Doc. 1211) ;

Having noted the detailed information concerning the practice of medicine and dentistry by refugees in member countries appended to the above-mentioned Report ;

Considering that legislation relating to the practice of medicine and dentistry by refugees varies widely in different countries ;

Considering, in particular, that the difficulties which confront such refugees in some member countries are proving virtually insurmountable ;

Having regard to the facilities already extended by some member countries to certain classes of refugees by way of exception to the ordinary rules ;

Considering that any action by the Council of Europe to make it easier for refugees to practise medicine and dentistry would constitute a new and important step forward in the work of European standardisation and co-operation,

Recommends that the Committee of Ministers :

1 should convene a committee of Government experts to draw up a European agreement laying down uniform legislative principles in accordance with which member States of the Council of Europe would undertake to grant refugees certain facilities for the practice of medicine and dentistry;

2 should instruct this committee of experts to make provision for extending to refugees lawfully resident in the territory of member States of the Council of Europe, and covered by the Convention of 1951 on the status of refugees, the possibility of freely exercising the medical profession, taking particular care that :

a refugee doctors and dentists who have been admitted for residence be not prevented, on grounds of nationality, from exercising their profession;

b refugee doctors and dentists who have already qualified in their country of origin be given every facility to practise in their new country of residence;

c foreign degrees be recognised without any condition of reciprocity;

d that, where a further training period or professional examination are considered indispensable, the refugees be granted the same facilities as nationals, particularly with regard to the admission to examinations, to the remission of fees or other charges and to the award of scholarships ;

e any restrictions on the free exercise of the medical profession by refugees be waived after a reasonable period of adoption; and

f refugee students who have received their medical training and passed their examinations in the country where they wish to practise be admitted to do so under the same conditions as nationals of that country;

3 should invite the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees to take part in the work of the committee of experts.