Migrants, asylum seekers and refugees
Downloaded content date
Last reviewed: 02/09/2025
Migrants asylum seekers and refugees
Migrants, asylum seekers and refugees
Although there is no internationally accepted legal definition of a migrant, a migrant may move countries to work, study, and for humanitarian purposes. They may feel they have no other choice due to gang violence, poverty, natural disasters, political unrest or other serious circumstances.
A refugee is a person who has fled their country in search of safety as they were at risk of human rights violations and persecution, and legally recognised as a refugee. An asylum seeker is someone who has left their country and is seeking protection from persecution and serious human rights violations in another country. They haven’t been legally recognised as a refugee and will be waiting for a decision on their asylum claim.
Both migrants and asylum seekers may have come from countries that do not offer the same health provision as the UK. Migrants and asylum seekers may not know how or where to access care (emergency, acute care and screening), and there may be some concerns regarding entitlement and payment for care.
It is important to remember that other cultures may have different beliefs or practices around subjects such as menstruation or contraception and a practitioner should aim to explore these properly in order to offer education and advice.
The Migrant Health Guide (Office for Health Improvement and Disparities, 2021) provides further advice and guidance on the health needs of migrant patients for health care practitioners.
The Women's health: migrant health guide (Office for Health Improvement and Disparities, 2021) outlines 4 important messages:
- Support women to access sexual health services and maternity care and to understand their entitlements to care.
- Be aware of possible religious and cultural sensitivities when discussing sexual and reproductive matters.
- Where language is a barrier in discussing sexual or reproductive matters, offer a female interpreter. It is inappropriate to use children as interpreters for adults, particularly when discussing intimate concerns.
- Have arrangements in place for one-to-one disclosure and avoid discussing sensitive topics in front of children.
For further information and resources on supporting migrant health, see the RCN's resource on migrant health.
Principles of good practice: How services adapt to cater for specific needs
Ensure that migrants, asylum seekers and refugees are:
- aware of how to access health care appropriately
- aware of their entitlements (free sexual health/contraception)
- aware of screening in UK (cervical/breast).
Health care professionals can:
- work with outreach services
- fully explore beliefs and expectations about women's health
- ensure use of (female) translators during consultations
- offer health promotion advice, education and appropriate signposting
- use statistics and research, such as health outcomes, physical and mental wellbeing and life choices to develop improvements in care provision.
Individual support and service provision
Asylum seekers and refugees can also be at increased risk of sexual violence, which can lead to them needing to access sexual health services for infection screening, emergency contraception and abortion care. The British Red Cross provides help for women refugees and asylum seekers facing sexual and gender-based violence.
In terms of gynaecological cancer, awareness of risk factors for and symptoms of cancer, plus socio-cultural and practical barriers such as language, contribute to lower cancer screening rates among ethnic minority groups (The health of people from ethnic minority groups in England, King's Fund, 2023).
Further resources
- BMA (2023): Overcoming barriers. Refugee and asylum seeker patient health toolkit.
- British Red Cross (2022): Women’s experiences of seeking asylum in the UK.
- Royal College of Midwives: Position statements.
