Evelien van Sterkenburg

  Faculty of Health, Medicine & Life Sciences | Bachelor European Public Health

"Care(ing) for Central and Eastern European Labour Migrants: A Scoping Review"

Evelien's elevator pitch
"Many EU countries heavily rely on labour migrants, particularly from Central and Eastern Europe, to fill workforce gaps. Despite having the freedom to work within the EU and enjoying cross-border healthcare rights, EU labour migrants' health often deteriorates after arriving in the host country due to precarious living and working conditions and underutilisation of healthcare. My scoping review investigates the barriers EU labour migrants face in accessing healthcare. The findings reveal barriers at various stages starting with differences in health culture, then barriers in seeking healthcare and finally, barriers in utilising healthcare. These barriers not only impede empowerment but also aggravate the lack of trust in healthcare. A way to cope with the barriers is to seek healthcare in the migrant’s country of origin. A proposed model visualises the barriers during different stages. Recommendations emphasize culturally sensitive care and increased employer support."