Health of Immigrant Women: Socio-Economic Precariousness, Statutory Irregularity and Public Protection

Milica Jankulovic , INED

Over the last 20 years, reforms in French migration policy have made it increasingly difficult for migrants to enter and stay in France. This is particularly accurate for the so-called "unwanted" migrants, as the conditions for obtaining regular status have become more rigorous. In general, undocumented migrants report poorer health than documented migrants, especially women. Despite the growing interest in social science research on migrants' health, little is known about variations in the health status of women in socially precarious situations when the stability of different legal statuses is taken into account. Most of the studies in this area are based on legal status as a binary variable, taking into consideration only two possible cases - documented or undocumented - which has become insufficient. A more complex approach is warranted, as stability of legal status may be associated with poor health. This paper explores the relationship between general, physical and mental self-rated health (SRH) of homeless migrant women, taking into account the intermediate category of 'precarious' legal status, beyond the binary distinction, as well as their living conditions in the host country. We use a regression model to observe the relationship between different covariates, such as legal status, socio-demographic factors and access to health care, and the three SRH indicators. We use data from the French “Rights and Health of Migrant Women in Emergency Housing” (Droits, santé et accès aux soins des femmes hébergées, isolées et réfugiées (DSAFHIR)) survey, conducted on a group of vulnerable women in state emergency housing.

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 Presented in Session P2. Health, Mortality, Ageing - Aperitivo