Migration and Refugee Health

The current migration wave to Europe is unmatched in the history of the continent, and therefore issues pertaining to migrant health have risen high on the agenda of many European countries in response. The current situation is a sign and symptom of the recent globalization process and the increasing political unrest in different parts of the world. This migration is massive, unprecedented, extremely diverse and mostly unregulated. In the future migration into Europe will become a routine for which Germany and other European countries ought to be prepared.

There are multiple driving forces like civil wars and political instability as well as environmental degradation due to extreme weather events and climate change in countries of origin. On the other hand these forces include better life and economic prospects for migrants and their families in countries of destination.

Established migration concepts like pull and push factors and the so-called healthy migrant effect are not sufficient to explain and understand the impacts on health and society of this global phenomenon. Simple care will no longer suffice, new concepts are needed to adapt health policy strategies that take into account the social transformation processes in sending and receiving regions.