Deported mexican migrants: an exploration of health status and access to care

INTRODUCTION:  The number of persons deported through the Mexico-United States (US) border has increased in the past years. Forced-return has potentially negative consequences for the health of migrants; however research on the subject is still scarce. The objective of this article is to describe the health status and access to care of forced-return Mexican migrants deported through the Mexico-US border.

METHODS:  Study design: Secondary analysis of data from the Survey on Migration in Mexico’s Northern Border (EMIF-N).  EMIF-N is a continuous survey, designed to describe migration flows between Mexico and the US, with a mobile-population sampling design. Using data from 2012, we describe indicators of health and access to care among deported migrants, and compare them with voluntary-return migrants. We employ an ordinal logistic regression (proportional odds) model, to compare the adjusted odds of having worst self-reported health between deportees and voluntary-return migrants.

RESULTS:  Deported migrants had worst health overall, and less access to care, as compared to voluntary-return migrants. Deportees were more likely to report worst self-perceived health (odds ratio 1.71; 95%CI 1.52-1.92).

CONCLUSIONS:   To promote the health and access to care of deported Mexican migrants coming back from the US, new health and social policies are required.