Undocumented immigrants in Spain: three years of discrimination
El próximo lunes 20 es el tercer aniversario de la entrada en vigor del Real Decreto Ley RD-L 16/2012 que excluye a la población inmigrante irregular del
acceso a la sanidad.
In 20th April 2012 the Spanish Government issued Royal Decree 16/2012, a law that excludes undocumented immigrants to access to Spanish public health system. A few weeks ago Spain’s Ministry of Health announced that they would once again be provided primary health care by the National Health System, but it also announced that the health cards revoked in 2012 would not be restored. As such, universal access to health care has not been restored. Moreover, it affirmed that the decision was a response to "matters of public health", to "not saturate emergency rooms" and because "it’s more practical".
Red Acoge holds that the right to health care is still not guaranteed in Spain and demands to restore that right as it was three years ago.
Campaign Yo Elijo Ser Humano (I choose being human)
In order to openly denounce the situation and to increase sensitivity, Red Acoge has launched Yo Elijo Ser Humano (I choose being human). This NGO have tested in a pharmacy how people will feel if a pharmacist break their health cards, the documents that ensure access to public health services in Spain. In this video are the reactions: https://vimeo.com/124599526]
This campaign has raised more than 4,800 signatures addressed to Alfonso Alonso, Spain’s Minister of Health in order to change the actual law.
