How integration of refugees into national health systems became a global priority: a qualitative policy analysis
Abstract Background Despite a long history of political discourse around refugee integration, it wasn’t until 2016 that this issue emerged as a global political priority. Limited research has examined the evolution of policies of global actors around health service provision to refugees and how refu...
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
BMC
2024-04-01
|
| Series: | Conflict and Health |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1186/s13031-024-00587-4 |
| _version_ | 1797199389127606272 |
|---|---|
| author | Shatha Elnakib Caitlin Jackson Ummekulsoom Lalani Yusra Ribhi Shawar Sara Bennett |
| author_facet | Shatha Elnakib Caitlin Jackson Ummekulsoom Lalani Yusra Ribhi Shawar Sara Bennett |
| author_sort | Shatha Elnakib |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Background Despite a long history of political discourse around refugee integration, it wasn’t until 2016 that this issue emerged as a global political priority. Limited research has examined the evolution of policies of global actors around health service provision to refugees and how refugee integration into health systems came onto the global agenda. This study seeks to fill this gap. Methods Drawing on a document review of 20 peer-reviewed articles, 46 global policies and reports, and 18 semi-structured interviews with actors representing various bilateral, multilateral and non-governmental organizations involved with refugee health policy and funding, we analyze factors that have shaped the global policy priority of integration. We use the Shiffman and Smith Policy Framework on determinants of political priority to organize our findings. Results Several important factors generated global priority for refugee integration into national health systems. Employing the above-mentioned framework, actor power increased due to network expansion through collaborations between humanitarian and development actors. Ideas took hold through the framing of integration as a human rights and responsibility sharing. While political context was influenced through several global movements, it was ultimately the influx of Syrian refugees into Europe and the increasing securitization of the refugee crisis that led to key policies, and critically, global funding to support integration within refugee hosting nations. Finally, issue characteristics, namely the magnitude of the global refugee crisis, its protractedness and the increasing urbanicity of refugee inflows, led integration to emerge as a manageable solution. Conclusion The past decade has seen a substantial reframing of refugee integration, along with increased financing sources and increased collaboration, explains this shift towards their integration into health systems. However, despite the emergence of integration as a global political priority, the extent to which efforts around integration have translated into action at the national level remains uncertain. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-24T07:14:58Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-398e7a5d58ec4ab78141534ab65cf5af |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1752-1505 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-24T07:14:58Z |
| publishDate | 2024-04-01 |
| publisher | BMC |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Conflict and Health |
| spelling | doaj.art-398e7a5d58ec4ab78141534ab65cf5af2024-04-21T11:20:47ZengBMCConflict and Health1752-15052024-04-0118S111510.1186/s13031-024-00587-4How integration of refugees into national health systems became a global priority: a qualitative policy analysisShatha Elnakib0Caitlin Jackson1Ummekulsoom Lalani2Yusra Ribhi Shawar3Sara Bennett4Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public HealthJohns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public HealthJohns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public HealthJohns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public HealthJohns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public HealthAbstract Background Despite a long history of political discourse around refugee integration, it wasn’t until 2016 that this issue emerged as a global political priority. Limited research has examined the evolution of policies of global actors around health service provision to refugees and how refugee integration into health systems came onto the global agenda. This study seeks to fill this gap. Methods Drawing on a document review of 20 peer-reviewed articles, 46 global policies and reports, and 18 semi-structured interviews with actors representing various bilateral, multilateral and non-governmental organizations involved with refugee health policy and funding, we analyze factors that have shaped the global policy priority of integration. We use the Shiffman and Smith Policy Framework on determinants of political priority to organize our findings. Results Several important factors generated global priority for refugee integration into national health systems. Employing the above-mentioned framework, actor power increased due to network expansion through collaborations between humanitarian and development actors. Ideas took hold through the framing of integration as a human rights and responsibility sharing. While political context was influenced through several global movements, it was ultimately the influx of Syrian refugees into Europe and the increasing securitization of the refugee crisis that led to key policies, and critically, global funding to support integration within refugee hosting nations. Finally, issue characteristics, namely the magnitude of the global refugee crisis, its protractedness and the increasing urbanicity of refugee inflows, led integration to emerge as a manageable solution. Conclusion The past decade has seen a substantial reframing of refugee integration, along with increased financing sources and increased collaboration, explains this shift towards their integration into health systems. However, despite the emergence of integration as a global political priority, the extent to which efforts around integration have translated into action at the national level remains uncertain.https://doi.org/10.1186/s13031-024-00587-4Refugee IntegrationHealth systemsPolicy analysisShiffman and Smith Policy Framework |
| spellingShingle | Shatha Elnakib Caitlin Jackson Ummekulsoom Lalani Yusra Ribhi Shawar Sara Bennett How integration of refugees into national health systems became a global priority: a qualitative policy analysis Conflict and Health Refugee Integration Health systems Policy analysis Shiffman and Smith Policy Framework |
| title | How integration of refugees into national health systems became a global priority: a qualitative policy analysis |
| title_full | How integration of refugees into national health systems became a global priority: a qualitative policy analysis |
| title_fullStr | How integration of refugees into national health systems became a global priority: a qualitative policy analysis |
| title_full_unstemmed | How integration of refugees into national health systems became a global priority: a qualitative policy analysis |
| title_short | How integration of refugees into national health systems became a global priority: a qualitative policy analysis |
| title_sort | how integration of refugees into national health systems became a global priority a qualitative policy analysis |
| topic | Refugee Integration Health systems Policy analysis Shiffman and Smith Policy Framework |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1186/s13031-024-00587-4 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT shathaelnakib howintegrationofrefugeesintonationalhealthsystemsbecameaglobalpriorityaqualitativepolicyanalysis AT caitlinjackson howintegrationofrefugeesintonationalhealthsystemsbecameaglobalpriorityaqualitativepolicyanalysis AT ummekulsoomlalani howintegrationofrefugeesintonationalhealthsystemsbecameaglobalpriorityaqualitativepolicyanalysis AT yusraribhishawar howintegrationofrefugeesintonationalhealthsystemsbecameaglobalpriorityaqualitativepolicyanalysis AT sarabennett howintegrationofrefugeesintonationalhealthsystemsbecameaglobalpriorityaqualitativepolicyanalysis |