148 Mobility of essential workers, immobility of care provision: a mixed-method study of Covid-19 meat factory outbreaks among migrant workers in a Dutch border region

Abstract OP 12: Health Services 4, B210 (FCSH), September 3, 2025, 17:00 - 18:00 Aim Meat packaging and processing facilities in the EU were among the most affected by Covid-19 with migrant workers constituting a significant number of positive cases. Following two Covid-19 outbreaks in meat factories in a Dutch border region in 2020, this paper investigates specific challenges of care provision for migrant workers, as well as map potential areas for improving cross-border care continuity. Methods This is a mixed-method study, including outbreak investigation of the two meat factory outbreaks in a Dutch border region that took place in October-December 2020; and in-depth interviews with public health professionals involved in the response to these outbreaks (n = 26). Results The Covid-19 outbreaks took place consecutively with first from 17.10.2020 until 30.11.2020 (116 positive cases, out of 203), and second from 02.11.2020 until 10.12.2020 (33 positive cases, out of 97). Majority (75%; and 69%) of workers were temporary, employed through 12 employment agencies based in at least 3 countries, and were mostly living in group accommodations. Provision of care to migrant workers was complicated due to several reasons: 1) while meat factories were located in the Netherlands, migrants often lived in group accommodations in Belgium or Germany requiring cross-border coordination of care delivery and data exchange; 2) communication barriers between migrants, health authorities of three countries, factories’ management, and employment agencies; 3) being employed through the agencies, while on quarantine, migrants were not receiving salary, which led to some of them breaking the quarantine and returning to their home countries. Conclusions Being assets to economy, migrants were recruited to work in food production. Yet, when became ill, they were often excluded from national healthcare provision. While EU is based on the idea of free movement of goods and services, it is crucial to ensure that people delivering those can have access to the continuous cross-border care.