Last Friday the “Right to Health-Initiative” handed over a petition to the Minister for Health and Social Affairs, Göran Hägglund – including undocumented migrants. Some 60 organizations and 12 000 people have signed the appeal for giving equal health care for all. The reason for the appeal was the investigation that finally was presented – two years after announced – and submitted to the government on May 31, 2011 not yet have gone to the usual round of consultations that proceeds a proposal to parliament. It’s a political scandal that a political party, in this case the rightwing party Moderaterna, with foul play prevents a majority in parliament to take decisions that would allow all people to receive care on equal terms.
The Swedish Government’s Minister for Social Security, Ulf Kristersson, has recently been under fire and a vote of no confidence in Parliament was close when he did not change the social security rules, even though a majority in parliament had taken that decision. The Minister was forced to apologize and promise to follow the decision of Parliament, as he should.
In the present case, Parliament has not taken any decision, and therefore there is not the same pressure on the Minister for Health and Social Affairs or government. But we still have a Minister for Migration and Asylum Policy, Tobias Billström. He and his party colleagues are playing the same kind of dirty tricks trying to block an unwanted decision that they know has a majority in Parliament. First by delaying the fulfilling of the investigation by questioning the directives, and now that the investigation has been completed since more than a year, not sending it for the usual consultations. That is a sly way to prevent the democratic process. And what has happened to the migration agreement between the government and the Green Party that also contains the promise of equal health care for all? Although it was not stated there when it would take effect, but at this rate it will take several more years. The consequences are that thousands of people are denied their human right to health care.
Today, tens of thousands of people who live in Sweden do not have access to the full health care they need because they are undocumented migrants and asylum seekers. Sweden is currently one of the countries in Europe where undocumented migrants have the least access to health care. Harsh criticism has been heard from the UN against Sweden for denying in the human right to health.
This ought to demand for quick political action. But despite the fantastic 12 000 signatures and 60 organizations in the Right to Health-Initiative, the Ministry of Social Affairs only states that there is a disagreement in the government and they do not know if the proposal will be sent out for consultations. That is not good enough. Not at all.
Magdalena Streijffert, editor Flyktingbloggen