Stuck in between: healthcare barriers for transgender asylum seekers in Aotearoa New Zealand

Purpose Transgender people face persecution in many countries, leading some to seek asylum in nations known as supportive of transgender rights. Aotearoa New Zealand is recognised internationally as such a country, yet little is known about the experiences of transgender asylum seekers. Unlike many other jurisdictions, Aotearoa New Zealand formally extends entitlement to access certain institutions, such as publicly funded healthcare, to both asylum seekers and transgender people. Design/methodology/approach Drawing on qualitative conversations with four transgender asylum seekers and seven organisational actors, this paper examines barriers to accessing publicly funded healthcare among transgender asylum seekers in Aotearoa New Zealand. Using the concept of dual liminality as an analytical lens, the author argue that inclusive policies do not necessarily translate into accessibility in practice due to the intersection of gender and migration status. Findings The findings indicate that transgender asylum seekers may be subjected to racialised notions of deception and categorical exclusion owing to their transgender identity within simultaneous processes of governing migration status and gender-related transitioning. Systemic barriers, including a lack of awareness and mismatched details, can further obstruct access to publicly funded healthcare. These findings highlight gaps between policy entitlements and access in practice, pointing to broader challenges in delivering equitable healthcare to asylum seekers. Originality/value To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study is one of the first to investigate the challenges faced by transgender asylum seekers in accessing publicly funded healthcare Aotearoa New Zealand.