Towards a new paradigm in migrant health research: integrating entitlement, access and appropriateness

This paper explores the prevalence and methodological approaches of migrants entitlement and access to health care. It also demonstrates an alternative approach involving a conceptual and analytical framework that integrates these perspectives as levels of analysis within a holistic model. Consisting of three brief case studies demonstrating difficulties in adopting either policy oriented entitlement approaches or practice driven orientations examining migrants access to health care, The paper examines the policy and legal frameworks within which health care is delivered to immigrants. The case studies presented encompass the phenomenon of hidden immigrant children in Sweden, migrants crossing the Spanish border from North Africa, and asylum seekers in the UK. The case studies form a basis for presenting an integrated model encompassing a multi-level framework for examining the health care of migrant populations. Implications for the European Union immigrant health and social care are discussed.