[Access to rights, access to care: what obstacles for migrants ?]

Language barrier remains the number one obstacle in accessing health care and rights. Even though seeking for a professional interpreter assistance should be top priority, it is not yet a usual action among the health workers community. Foreign nationals are ruled by special immigration laws, thus facing specific legal challenges. According to health coverage laws (public social security system), every needy person living in France (regardless to his/her nationality or immigration status) should be granted a free of charge public health coverage to deal with health care expenses. Nevertheless, foreign nationals face long and recurring periods of time in which health coverage is over or in stand by (due to their precarious immigration status). It is recommended to anticipate those breakdown periods. Furthermore, an increasing range of medical certificates are demanded by administrations. Doctors dealing with the requests of their patients need to gain new dedicated skills. Asylum process (to qualify for an international protection) and access to a medical residence permit are two very different administrative actions which respectively involve two different kinds of officials and judges. The granting of a medical residence permit is a key concern for any doctor since he is in charge with ensuring his patient's continuity of care. The medical staff of OFII (the French authority in charge with the reception and integration of new incoming migrants and asylum seekers) tightened its assessment practices.