MPs Urge Government to Suspend NHS Immigration Checks

MPs have urged the government to suspend NHS charges and immigration checks during the coronavirus crisis, and have warned that undocumented migrants are dying at home because they are afraid to seek medical care. A letter to the health secretary, Matt Hancock, signed by 60 MPs warns that the government’s efforts to respond to the pandemic are being undermined by the legacy of its hostile environment policies. The letter cites the case of a Filipino man, known only as Elvis, who died on 8 April while self-isolating at home with Covid-19 symptoms. He did not seek care “fearing that he would be charged thousands of pounds for his treatment, or that he would face immigration enforcement if he tried to access care”, the letter said. It added that the man’s wife also has the virus but is not seeking help for the same reasons. Elvis’s death came days after that of another man, known only as Rey, according to human rights group Rapar.

The Kanlungan Filipino Consortium, which supports vulnerable migrants from the Philippines, has said there are many undocumented workers in the UK in a similar situation. “They have lost their jobs due to the lockdown and are ineligible for government support,” said Susan Cueva, from the consortium. “They often live in crowded conditions with other undocumented workers and they are too scared to go to a doctor or hospital.” Calls to stop NHS data-sharing with the Home Office and suspend healthcare charges for overseas visitors have been backed by the British Medical Association, the Royal College of Physicians and Doctors of the World.

Read more: Aaron Walawalkar, Guardian, https://is.gd/jimik2