22/11/2007 Migration, International Protection and Economic Co-operation
Conference of European Health Ministers
Strasbourg, 22.11.2007 - Andrej Zernovski (“the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia”, ALDE) representative of the Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly’s (PACE) Committee on Migration, Refugees and Population, today urged European Ministers of Health meeting in Bratislava to develop health services that are socially and culturally adjusted to the specific needs of migrants, asylum seekers and refugees.
“The right to health associated with access to health care is one of the basic universal human rights and should be equally applied to all people including migrants, asylum seekers, refugees and displaced persons”, stated Mr Zernovski.
Mr Zernovski also raised concern about access to health care for irregular migrants. “Emergency healthcare should be available to irregular migrants and states should seek to provide more holistic health care, taking particularly into account the specific needs of vulnerable groups such as children, disabled persons, pregnant women and elderly”, he said.