Border management in Europe has a serious impact on migrants and has caused a “public health crisis”according to the Health for Right Foundation in its report Migration policy in the EU as a global health crisis. The closed-door principle that Brussels marks affects millions of displaced people.
According to the report, in the first six months of 2024, more than 120 million people around the world were forced to leave their homes. These migrations are a consequence of armed conflicts, human rights violations, humanitarian crises and the effects of the climate emergency. However, despite these alarming figures, the organization points out that the European Union continues to tighten its migration policies and strengthen border control.
More than 120 million people worldwide were forced to leave their homes in the first half of 2024
A worrying fact is that since 2014, more than half of the deaths recorded in migration occurred in Europe or on routes to the continent. In particular, the Mediterranean has been the scene of tragedieswith more than 30,000 migrants dead or missing in the last decade. In other areas, such as the Sahara Desert, it is estimated that the number of victims could be even higher.
The report warns that European policies of deterrence, detention and border fortification are forcing migrants to take most dangerous routeswhich significantly increases the risks to your health. The foundation emphasizes that this crisis is not an inevitable consequence of the migration process, but the result of political decisions that put border control above the protection of people.
One of the strategies criticized in the report is the increased use of border walls. The EU has already built barriers on 15% of its borders and has increased them by 94% financing for immigration control for the period 2021-2027. This border shielding, according to the document, is contributing to the risks and difficulties faced by displaced people.
More than 30,000 migrants have died or disappeared in the last decade in the Mediterranean
The health risks to migrants are not limited to dangerous routes. The report also highlights the extreme conditions they face during their tripssuch as the suffocating heat, intense cold and dehydration, as well as the physical violence they suffer at the borders and during detentions. Furthermore, the lack of access to medical care and the interruption of treatments aggravate their health status.
The consequences for mental health are also alarming. According to the report, many migrants suffer from anxiety, depression and post-traumatic stress disorder. In Europe, more than 100,000 displaced people are detained each year for administrative reasons, and in Spain, 70% of migrants in detention centers develop serious mental health problemswith two in ten attempting self-harm.
The impact of detentions is also devastating for migrant children. The report notes that a minor exposed to extreme levels of stress, such as those living in detention, is more likely to develop lung cancer, cardiovascular disease and a reduction in life expectancy of up to 20 years.
Migrant minors suffer extreme levels of stress that can reduce their life expectancy by up to 20 years
The document also denounces the practices of hot returns at European borders. These returns, carried out without adequate legal process, not only violate the human rights of migrants, but also cause severe physical injuries and psychological trauma. Since 2017, more than 25,000 incidents of violence have been recorded at European borders during these pushbacks.
Another strong criticism is directed towards the externalization of migration control, through which the EU has financed countries such as Libya, Morocco and Tunisia to detain migrants before they reach Europe. The case of Libya is especially worrying, since since 2017, its coast guard has intercepted and returned to more than 120,000 peoplemany of whom do not receive any medical assistance.
In response to this crisis, Salud por Derecho urgently calls on the European Union to reformulate your immigration policy. Among their recommendations, they highlight the need to integrate human rights and global health into migration policies and put an end to the detention of migrants, a practice they consider incompatible with the right to health.
The report also calls on the EU to cease agreements with third countries that promote structural violence and proposes the creation of an exclusive European mechanism for maritime rescues, which guarantees safe ports for displaced people. The document also highlights the importance of ensuring that any migration policy prioritizes well-being and the protection of human rights.
At the state level, the report demands that Spain apply European laws with full guarantees. The proposals include the elimination of migrant detentionsthe establishment of a health monitoring system at the borders and the prioritization of health care in all migration policies.