Global Public Health
Volume 13, Issue 10, 2018, Pages 1369-1381

Deportation of non-citizen military veterans: A critical analysis of implications for the right to health (Article)

Horyniak D.* , Bojorquez I. , Armenta R.F. , Davidson P.J.
  • a Division of Global Public Health, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States, Behaviours and Health Risks Program, Burnet Institute, Melbourne, Australia, School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia
  • b Department of Population Studies, El Colegio de la Frontera Norte, Tijuana, Mexico
  • c Division of Epidemiology, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States, Department of Kinesiology, College of Education, Health and Human Services, California State University San Marcos, San Marcos, CA, United States
  • d Division of Global Public Health, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States

Abstract

Military personnel are commonly exposed to health-harming conditions during their service, resulting in higher rates of physical and mental health conditions compared with the general population. In an era of mass deportations, it is notable that non-citizen military veterans are not exempt from deportation. We utilised a human rights framework to conduct a critical analysis of potential health consequences of deportation for U.S. military veterans, identifying three ways in which veterans’ rights to health may be constrained through deportation. First, honourably discharged deported veterans may be denied access to free or subsidised Veterans Affairs health services to which they would likely otherwise be entitled. Second, availability of and access to healthcare may be limited for reasons including barriers to enrolling in public insurance schemes, challenges navigating unfamiliar health systems and stigma and discrimination towards deported migrants. Finally, quality of available care may be sub-optimal due to limited expertise in service-related health issues and lack of evidence-based treatment for some health conditions (e.g. substance abuse/dependence). Binational multi-sectoral efforts are necessary to ensure that the rights to health of deported military veterans are adequately protected. © 2017, © 2017 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.

Author Keywords

Migration access to health care Deportation veteran’s health right to health

Index Keywords

health insurance veteran human Veterans health service priority journal substance abuse drug dependence human rights United States evidence based practice migrant stigma Article migration Emigration and Immigration health care system Military Personnel soldier Health Services Accessibility health care delivery army
Link
https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-85038080070&doi=10.1080%2f17441692.2017.1413123&partnerID=40&md5=de1f624948aa6a788ca200df7fb5886e
DOI: 10.1080/17441692.2017.1413123
ISSN: 17441692
Original Language: English