Healthcare for Persons in Need of International Protection

Abstract

In recent years, conflicts have increased in various regions of the world, resulting in approximately 52 million people being displaced from their countries. This displaced population broadly falls under the category of “persons in need of international protection” – as classified by international standards; however, countries use their own classifications to categorize them. For example, Bangladesh identifies approximately one million of the displaced Rohingya from Myanmar living in Bangladesh as “Forcibly Displaced Myanmar Nationals” (FDMNs). Bangladesh ceased to provide refugee recognition to the Rohingya in 1992, which became a lasting policy and influenced subsequent healthcare policies for the Rohingya and their involvement indecision-making processes. This dissertation investigates the influence of government policies on the healthcare entitlement of persons in need of international protection through three independent studies: i) an integrative review of categorizations and healthcare entitlement; and two qualitative studies set in Bangladesh – ii) a case study that investigates the effects of policy legacies; and iii) an interpretive description study that examines the effects of problem representation on key interest holders and policies surrounding the healthcare of the Rohingya. The findings from these studies indicate that healthcare entitlements vary across host nations, depending on the categorization of individuals in need of international protection and are influenced by past policies. In Bangladesh, such policy legacies provide authority and financial power to government and non-government actors and have resulted in limited access to comprehensive healthcare for the Rohingya. Moreover, problematizing the Rohingya as a temporary crisis limits reform of policies and long-term policy planning, and provides little opportunity for them to participate in decision-making processes. The categorization of persons in need of international protection is influenced by several factors and has consequences for their healthcare entitlements. Reframing the problematization and reforming health policies to emphasize access to necessary healthcare would help affected individuals to live with dignity.