Problems refugees face when accessing health services

Abstract

Refugees settling in western countries face many difficulties in accessing effective health care. These have been widely documented by health service providers, This article describes the particular problems that refugees face in accessing effective health care and some of the ways in which health services can respond. BACKGROUND Some 600,000 refugees have settled in Australia since the end of World War II. Of the 12,000 people who receive humanitarian visas each year to migrate to or stay in Australia, 40 per cent settle in NSW. NSW is also home to over 2000 people released from immigration detention centres on Temporary Protection Visas, and to an uncertain number of asylum seekers who are living in the community while their applications for protection are processed.