5.G. Round table: Nationalism, populism and migrant healthcare workers: how to protect healthcare and human rights?

Abstract Background Nationalism and right-wing populism are increasingly gaining ground in Europe and the United States. They threaten the foundations of democracy, human rights, and civil societies, opening the doors for social exclusion, violence, and authoritarian regimes including military aggression and war. These developments are deeply worrying and heavily debated across Western countries. However, surprisingly little attention has been paid so far to the threats that are arising for health systems and public health. On top of this, strong anti-migrant politics of nationalist-populist movements and their growing acceptance in mainstream politics and the wider society put the migrant health and care workforce at risk. Almost all European health systems heavily rely on migrant workers to ensure service provision for their populations; in Ireland, for instance, the number of foreign-trained physicians entering the health labour market was greater than domestic graduates; in absolute terms, Germany, Spain and the United Kingdom were the main countries of destination. New labour market barriers, devaluation and lack of inclusion will impact negatively in retention and recruitment and, ultimately, exacerbate the health and care workforce crisis and weaken healthcare provision. Objectives This workshop highlights the threats that nationalist-populist politics pose to migrant health and care workers and health systems, arguing the need for greater attention and sensitivity to the health-related impact. An expert panel will discuss how public health can respond effectively to the new threats, build capacity for awareness, and join forces to take action. It connects European and global evidence, and expertise in global health, health policy and governance, health and care workforce, and human rights. The workshop begins with statements from health workforce migration experts, illustrating the situation from the perspective of European countries and more globally considering low- and middle-income countries as well as the United States. This is followed by insights from public health policy and politics, from governance research into right-wing populist regimes with a focus on the health and care workforce, and finally reflexions on capacities and action taken by EUPHA. Expected outcome The workshop will generate concrete policy recommendations emerging from this multi-perspective expert panel, which will be further discussed in a moderated plenary discussion. Joining forces across EUPHA sections and leading public health organisations, the workshop facilitates knowledge exchange to respond effectively to a new global nationalism and populisms and protect public health values, including protecting migrant health and care workers, health services for the population, and human rights. Key messages • The new nationalism and populism and their global alliances threaten health systems and migrant health and care workers, exacerbating the health workforce crisis. • There is an urgent need to join forces for the protection of human rights, migrant health workers, and resilient health services and systems. Speakers/Panellists Niamh Humphries RCSI Graduate School of Healthcare Management, Dublin, Ireland Ligia Paina Johns Hopkins University School of Public Health, Baltimore, USA Michelle Falkenbach European Observatory on Health Systems and Policies, Brussels, Belgium Marleen Bekker Wageningen University & Research, Wageningen, Netherlands Monica Brînzac EUPHA