Italy’s Health Divide

Securitised Migration Policies and their Impact on Migrant Health during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract

Restrictive migration policies often have a major impact on migrants’ access to healthcare services and their capacity to protect their health. During the COVID-19 pandemic, securitised migration policies in Italy led to a severe health divide that exacerbated the already acute living conditions of many migrant communities. This article examines Italy’s migration policy with a focus on the Security Decree and its consequences during the COVID-19 state-wide lockdown. Over the last decade, the surge in support for anti-immigration parties has fostered the portrayal of migrants as dangerous vectors of disease. In 2018, the Italian government approved the Security Decree which curtailed the already poor medical and sanitary conditions of the state’s healthcare services provided to migrants and asylum seekers. This study outlines the characteristics of the Italian health divide during the COVID-19 outbreak and suggests a link between securitised migration policies and increased vulnerability of migrant communities during the pandemic.