As UN Member States negotiate the final terms of the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration, where should future “evidence-based” interventions be focused to most effectively eliminate discrimination against refugees and migrants, protect their rights, and positively shape public discourse.
Hundreds of thousands of Rohingya refugees living in overcrowded camps in Bangladesh are still in need of water and sanitation support, and the approaching monsoon season will exacerbate water-related health problems. While there has been rapid progress to prepare for this challenge, more must be done to ensure a safe, disease-free environment for all.
Among the concerns regarding migrants’ access to primary healthcare, less attention has been given to their mental healthcare needs. States’ responsibility to provide mental healthcare to migrants — and to remove barriers to healthcare in general — must be at the centre of migration policy reform.
