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.
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.
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.
Russian strikes hit several parts of Ukraine overnight, injuring at least six people and targeting energy and port infrastructure, as President Vol...
Slovakia’s Mochovce 4 nuclear reactor has begun supplying electricity to the national grid, marking a major milestone in the country’s ...
Audi chief executive Gernot Döllner has faced a backlash from German labour leaders and politicians after appearing alongside U.S. President D...
Uzbekistan summoned Iran’s ambassador following claims by several Iranian diplomatic missions that the historical and architectural heritage of Samarkand belongs to Persian or Iranian-Islamic civilisation, Tashkent's Foreign Ministry said.
Serbia's Aleksandar Vučić has conceded defeat after a student-led protest movement took the majority of seats in Sunday's parliamentary elections.
Russian strikes hit several parts of Ukraine overnight, injuring at least six people and targeting energy and port infrastructure, as President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said U.S. warnings about imminent Russian ballistic missile attacks had resumed.
Iran's Supreme National Security Council says senior officials from Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Türkiye will travel to Tehran to discuss regional security.
Protests against war and rising living costs took place in major Italian cities on Saturday, with some incidents of violence and clashes, a week after unrest erupted across the country.
Slovakia’s Mochovce 4 nuclear reactor has begun supplying electricity to the national grid, marking a major milestone in the country’s nuclear expansion. The 471-megawatt unit is expected to meet around 13 per cent of Slovakia’s current electricity demand.
Audi chief executive Gernot Döllner has faced a backlash from German labour leaders and politicians after appearing alongside U.S. President Donald Trump at a campaign rally in Georgia to announce plans for a $4 billion factory.
Russian strikes hit several parts of Ukraine overnight, injuring at least six people and targeting energy and port infrastructure, as President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said U.S. warnings about imminent Russian ballistic missile attacks had resumed.
With 189 football associations represented, shorter matches and smaller teams, Azerbaijan is hosting a different kind of World Cup, designed to give young players international experience.
Serbia's Aleksandar Vučić has conceded defeat after a student-led protest movement took the majority of seats in Sunday's parliamentary elections.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment