RESEARCH commissioned by healthcare group Bupa has found that migrants in Australia face systemic barriers to healthcare, including confusing and often prohibitive costs, cultural gaps, limited service availability and mental health stigma.

Concerningly, a fear of losing employment and uncertainty around visas, as well as financial pressure to send money home, contribute to a reluctance to take time off work to recover from sickness.

The Hidden Strain on Migrant Health whitepaper found more than a third (39%) of migrant workers had never taken a single sick day, while another 38% had taken just one or two days off in the past year.

By comparison, the national average per worker is between nine and 14 sick days annually.

The report noted that cultural attitudes play a role in taking sick leave, which may not exist in a person’s country of origin, while some countries deport migrant workers found to have certain health conditions.

In the report, Bupa acknowledged healthcare challenges are complex and called for action across government, employers, healthcare providers, and other stakeholders to create pathways that are safe, accessible and sustainable.

The whitepaper is HERE.

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