New book : They Make You Sick : Essays on Immigration Controls and Health

by Steve Cohen and Debra Hayes

Issues of health are centra to both the theory and practice of immigration control. On the one hand propaganda about the spreading of disease and sickness is used to justify controls. Behind this propaganda are reactionary and racist ideas about eugenics and the preservation of the "pure" English bloodstock. On the other hand issues of health are a daily constant in the enforcement of controls. Ill health can itself be a reason to refuse entry. Those who do gain entry can be refused free hospital treatment because of their residency status. They can also be refused sickness and disability benefits because of their immigration status. This illustrates the racism that lies at the heart of welfare provision. Illness, however serious, is no bar against deportation. Immigration controls can themselves drive people mad - and then mental disturbance is grounds for deportation under the Mental Health Act. This is the situation not just in Britain but throughout the European Union and in the United States.

All these issues should be of serious ethical concern to those working within the health sector. They Make You Sick sets out to explain clearly and simply the ethical, legal and political issues involved. This is a companion book to a resource pack of documents on Health and Immigration Controls which can be obtained from the Greater Manchester Immigration Aid Unit or the Department of Applied Community Studies at Manchester Metropolitan University. These organisations also offer training in this area.

Published by : The Greater Manchester Immigration Aid Unit Dept of Applied Community Studies, Manchester Metropolitan University

Cost : 5 British pounds + shipping costs

The Administrator
GMIAU (Greater Manchest Immigration Aid Unit)
400 Cheetham Hill Road
Manchester, M8 9LE
United Kingdom
Phone : +44 161 740 7722
Fax : +44 161 740 5172
E-mail : gmiau@ein.org.uk