Doctors of the World, along with over a thousand healthcare providers, have rejected the European deportation plan, warning it threatens medical ethics, professional confidentiality, and public health.
The European Parliament is set to vote tomorrow on a proposal aimed at "more efficient detection, detention, and deportation" of undocumented migrants.
Ahead of this, Doctors of the World and hundreds of healthcare workers have penned an open letter raising concerns about the plan.
The letter warns that vague and far-reaching surveillance measures proposed could turn hospitals and public services into "hotspots" for immigration enforcement.
Andrea Soler Eslava of Doctors of the World highlights the dangerous precedent set in the United States, where fear of deportation has driven people away from healthcare systems.
She warns that the proposed plan could have similar consequences in Europe, including delayed medical care, worsening health conditions, increased pressure on emergency services, and elevated public health risks.
The organisation is also alarmed by the proposal’s implications for medical ethics and confidentiality.
Soler Eslava explains that it could lead to a system where sensitive personal health information is shared more easily and healthcare workers are forced to report undocumented individuals seeking treatment.
Healthcare providers firmly oppose becoming instruments of immigration enforcement.
"Our duty is to protect the health of everyone in need of care, regardless of their administrative status. We are caregivers, not border guards," notes Soler Eslava.
The signatories urge members of the European Parliament and the Council to reject the proposal and spare the healthcare system from being used as a tool of immigration control.
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