Refugee and migrant health in the COVID-19 response

[...]some refugees and migrants are travelling from countries not yet substantially affected by COVID-19 and entering countries with increasing numbers of COVID-19 cases. The ability to access health-care services in humanitarian settings is usually compromised and exacerbated by shortages of medicines and lack of health-care facilities. [...]refugees typically face administrative, financial, legal, and language barriers to access the health system.4 Conditions in refugee camps are concerning. There must be no forced returns and refoulement justified by or based on fears or suspicion of COVID-19 transmission, especially because there is estimated to be low risk of transmitting communicable disease from refugee and migrant populations to host populations in the WHO European region.4 Yet migrants and refugees are often stigmatised and unjustly discriminated against for spreading disease and such unacceptable attitudes further risk wider public health outcomes, including for host populations, since refugees and migrants could be fearful to seek treatment or disclose symptoms.6 Refugees and migrants must be included in national public health systems, with no risk of financial or legal consequences for them.