GU-Q’s CIRS and WISH Release Joint Policy Brief on Migrant Healthcare

Major investments in healthcare services, facilities, and technologies have transformed Qatar’s healthcare infrastructure, however single male migrant laborers continue to face significant obstacles to accessing these benefits, according to a new policy brief jointly published by the Center for International and Regional Studies (CIRS) at Georgetown University in Qatar and the World Innovation Summit for Health (WISH), an initiative of Qatar Foundation (QF).

The policy brief, “Improving Single Male Laborers’ Health in Qatar,” provides a review of the research on healthcare for single male migrant workers, an analysis of their obstacles to healthcare access, an overview of current government policies, and key policy recommendations for the future that would help to build on ongoing efforts to strengthen and improve healthcare for this group of migrant workers in Qatar.

Director of CIRS, Dr. Mehran Kamrava, explained how this new policy brief builds on two of the Center’s earliest streams of research. “At CIRS, we have developed the capacity and expertise to pursue substantive research on both the issue of migrant labor and healthcare in the region. So for this study, we were able to draw on our broad network of experts, scholars and practitioners to identify new research questions on the issue of migrant health.”

Dr. Walid Qoronfleh, Director of Research and Policy at WISH, noted that healthcare access for migrant workers, who make up around half of Qatar’s population, is a core policy issue for the nation’s development priorities. “Qatar has made significant investments in healthcare reform for migrant workers. This collaboration with CIRS at GU-Q demonstrates how working together, we can address the most pressing healthcare challenges we continue to face, not only in Qatar, but across the region, and around the world.”

For the report, researchers faced several challenges, including the lack of available scholarship on migration and health of migrant workers in the GCC. “Most accounts are based on media coverage of working conditions, and not on academic studies based on scientific research and analysis,” explained Dr. Kamrava. Furthermore, different migrant groups face different challenges, so for this study, the decision was made to focus on single male laborers. The report also draws on the findings and discussions of two workshops jointly conducted by CIRS and WISH in 2018 and 2019.

The researchers determined that barriers to health care for undocumented immigrants present a wide range of challenges, from financial limitations to discrimination and fear of deportation. The suggested solutions are addressed to policymakers and public and private sector employers responsible for the welfare of their staff.

The policy brief is available in English on the CIRS website and the WISH website. Future plans include an Arabic language version, and plans to share the policy recommendations with key government and corporate stakeholders in Qatar.