Ireland Leads EU on Migrant Health Integration
New MIPEX report shows favourable health policies, but pending legislation threatens progress
15 January 2026
Ireland has achieved a favourable rating for health integration policies in the MIPEX 2025 (Migrant Integration Policy Index) report, placing it among the top performers in the EU alongside Sweden and Austria. This recognition reflects Ireland's commitment to ensuring all residents, regardless of legal status or background, can access timely, affordable, and culturally appropriate medical care.
As the HSE-funded organisation providing nationwide health screening and medical assessments to international protection applicants through our Mobile Health and Screening Unit, Safetynet Primary Care welcomes this positive recognition.
International Protection Bill Threatens Health Gains
However, this positive assessment comes at a critical juncture. The pending International Protection Bill 2025, due for imminent publication, contains significant gaps in health provisions that could undermine Ireland's favourable standing.
Our most urgent concern is healthcare access following deportation orders. Currently, when someone receives a deportation order, they immediately lose access to their medical card. The period between a deportation order and actual deportation can extend for many months or even years. During this time, people with diabetes, heart conditions, HIV, psychiatric conditions, or who are pregnant cannot access essential care. From both a humanitarian and health systems perspective, this is unacceptable. We have seen patients with schizophrenia lose medication access, become unwell, and require four months of inpatient hospital care—a direct result of losing their medical card due to a deportation order.
The Bill also permits the sharing of medical information without explicit consent. In our clinical practice, we have seen multiple cases of people concealing HIV diagnoses because they fear discrimination in their protection application. As a result, they went without life-preserving medication for many months, leading to significant disease progression. A robust consent framework is essential to building trust and encouraging early engagement with healthcare services.
Short-notice accommodation transfers also create significant challenges for continuity of care. We have supported patients scheduled for transfer with 24 hours' notice whose cancer treatment was interrupted mid-chemotherapy, whose cardiac rehabilitation was disrupted, or whose trauma therapy ended abruptly after months of establishing a therapeutic relationship.
The Oireachtas Joint Committee on Justice adopted all of Safetynet's healthcare recommendations during pre-legislative scrutiny, including guaranteeing continued healthcare access for those subject to deportation orders, requiring informed consent before sharing medical information, and protecting medical care continuity during transfers. However, the Minister's recent announcement notably omitted these healthcare provisions entirely. As the Bill moves through the Committee Stage, it is crucial that these adopted recommendations are given legislative effect.
Broader Integration Challenges
While Ireland's health integration policies show strength, the MIPEX report also identifies concerning trends in other areas. Ireland is the only EU27 country to see a decrease in its education score, primarily due to limited guidance on the Irish education system for migrant families. This represents a serious regression at a time when other European nations are improving their education accessibility frameworks.
Ireland's overall integration framework is characterised as slightly favourable, with family reunification policies ranking among the less favourable in the EU. Research demonstrates that comprehensive, inclusive integration policies strengthen host economies and communities—and that health integration cannot succeed in isolation from other policy areas.
Protecting What Works
"Ireland's favourable health integration rating is something to be proud of, but it cannot be taken for granted," said Nicola Perry, CEO of Safetynet Primary Care. "The International Protection Bill presents both an opportunity and a risk. If the healthcare recommendations adopted by the Oireachtas Justice Committee are implemented, we can strengthen our position. If they are omitted, we risk undermining the very policies that earned us this recognition."
Safetynet Primary Care stands ready to support implementation planning with our operational expertise, ensuring that Ireland's health integration policies continue to serve both individual well-being and public health.
About the Migration Policy Group (MPG): The Migration Policy Group is a Brussels-based think tank dedicated to evidence-based policies on migration, integration, and anti-discrimination. MPG coordinates MIPEX and collaborates with a global network of researchers and partners to support inclusive societies: www.migpolgroup.com
About Safetynet Primary Care: Safetynet Primary Care is Ireland's leading medical charity providing primary healthcare to marginalised populations. Through mobile health units, open access clinics, and outreach services, Safetynet delivers care to people experiencing homelessness, international protection applicants, refugees, and other vulnerable communities. For more information, visit www.primarycaresafetynet.ie
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