Global Mobility and the Right to Health: An assessment of migrant health care in Norway

In this Master‟s thesis I have studied to what degree primary- and moral duty bearers in Norway maintain accountability and fulfil their obligations towards migrants and the right to health, as stated in the International Convention on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR) of 1966. Theoretical perspectives on global mobility and Rights-based approaches, an outline of the HIV/AIDS epidemic, as well as empirical data provides a basis for the discussion addressing how the Norwegian Government maintain accountability with regards to health care of migrants, and seeking to identify the role of other duty bearers in offering health care services to migrants. The research methods applied in order to generate data are analysis of text and interviews. I have studied legislation, treaties and official publications. In addition, I have performed two key informant interviews; one with Siv Limstrand, project manager of the Church City Mission in Trondheim‟s project „Living with HIV‟ („Leve med hiv‟), and another with nurse Tove Buchmann in Trondheim Municipality‟s refugee health team (flyktningehelseteamet). The thesis concludes that there appears to be an embedded contradiction between legislation, policy and practice. Norway has stated a clear goal to protect, respect and fulfil human rights, both internationally and through the ratification and implementation of human rights treaties into Norwegian legislation. Based on this, they should to a larger extent fulfil their obligations and not restrict the access to medical attention on the part of asylum seekers and irregular migrants. On the part of the other duty bearers included in this thesis, namely the Church City Mission in Trondheim‟s project „Living with HIV‟ and Trondheim Municipality‟s refugee health team, the thesis finds that they play a vital role in guiding and informing, as well as in administering health care services to migrants in Trondhei