Sweden breached healthcare rights of vulnerable EU migrants, committee rules

Sweden discriminated against vulnerable European Union migrants, many of them from the Roma community, by denying them equal access to healthcare, the European Committee of Social Rights has ruled.

The decision, announced on Friday (26 June) and highlighted by Amnesty International, found that Sweden breached the European Social Charter by failing to guarantee the right to healthcare without discrimination.

The case stems from a joint complaint filed in 2023 by Amnesty International and Médecins du Monde, which accused Sweden of systematically denying vulnerable EU migrants access to subsidised medical care.

Discrimination accusations

According to Amnesty, the committee found that Sweden’s requirement for EU citizens to hold health insurance from their country of origin disproportionately affects vulnerable migrants, particularly Roma, and amounts to indirect discrimination.

The ruling said Sweden had also violated the right to health by denying subsidised care to many migrants who could not obtain such insurance because of discrimination in their home countries.

The complaint documented 129 cases in which Roma and other vulnerable EU migrants were denied subsidised treatment and charged full costs instead, discouraging many from seeking medical help.

Wider implications across Europe

Amnesty described the ruling as a major victory for vulnerable EU migrants and called on Sweden to amend its laws to ensure equal access to healthcare regardless of length of stay or insurance status.

The rights group said the decision could have broader implications for other members of the Council of Europe, arguing that it should serve as a benchmark for non-discriminatory healthcare access across the continent.

Following the ruling, the Council of Europe’s Committee of Ministers is expected to adopt a recommendation, after which Sweden will have two years to report on steps taken to align its legislation with the European Social Charter.

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