Accessing Maternal Healthcare in a Hostile Environment

Over the past decade, forced and voluntary migration has been increasing while simultaneously becoming more complex. Historically, the London borough of Camden has been home to many refugees, people seeking asylum, and undocumented migrants. The area has witnessed not only a rise in the population of these migrant groups, but also changes to the barriers they face in accessing basic services, including quality maternal healthcare. Many of these barriers are directly tied to the UK’s so-called hostile environment immigration policies and the political climate they create to alienate and discourage “illegal” migrants from coming into the country, while implicating ordinary citizens in their implementation.

This report maps the direct impact of the hostile environment policies and the culture they create to understand the impact on maternal health service provision and the responses by the community organizations and healthcare professionals supporting this hard to reach population.