The global financial crisis of 2008 has caused much dialogue within the social policy framework on how to maintain a sustainable elderly health-care system. This coupled with a migrant crisis have created extra social and economic pressures in Europe in particularly. As it has been well documented by social scientists, people are living longer than ever before. There are two fundamental factors that are helping people live to an old age, which are as follows: (a) a better quality of life and (b) improved health-care system at state level. However, since the global financial crisis of 2008 populations across the world are living in an age of austerity. The age of austerity has brought extra financial pressures on the state, polarizing society by implementing cuts in welfare. The reason many governments across the world (e.g., United States, United Kingdom, and Greece) have enforced a series of austerity measures is fundamentally to reduce debt. The aim of this article is to critically explore the austerity social policy agenda within the context of the debates surrounding the refugee or migrant crisis in the elderly health-care system. © The Author(s) 2017.

Global financial crisis Austerity Migration aging

United Kingdom government Aged welfare Greece refugee health care system quality of life United States human aging