Ricerc@Sapienza

Since the beginning of its experience as an immigration country, Italy has received only small numbers of asylum-seekers. Until the late 2000s, with the reception of EU directives on asylum, Italy had hardly any comprehensive normative framework on asylum. The so-called refugee crisis initiated in the second half of 2013, with hundreds of thousands people crossing the Mediterranean to reach Italy, has decisively changed these features. In such a context, how have Italian policies reacted to the increasing magnitude and complexity of mixed flows across the Mediterranean?

Background: Asylum seekers are refugees who have left their country of origin and have applied for residency in another country. Italy recognises and guarantees international protection and healthcare coverage for asylum seekers. The request for and the decision on a residency permit may require months and during both stages they could be without health-care coverage. Each region is autonomous in its application of national protocols.

The decentralization of the provision of health services at the subnational level produces variations in healthcare offered to asylum seekers (ASs) across the different Italian regions, even if they are entitled to healthcare through the national health service. The present study aims to map the healthcare path and regional policies for ASs upon arrival and identify challenges and best practices. This is a multicentric, qualitative study of migrant health policies and practices at the regional level within four Italian regions.