At the second International Migration Review Forum (IMRF), held on 5-8 May 2026 at the United Nations Headquarters in New York, global leaders and stakeholders reaffirmed a shared priority relating to the health of migrants: ensuring that they can access health and other essential services in line with the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration (GCM). Adopted at the end of the Forum, the 2026 IMRF Progress Declaration further underscores this commitment, placing strong emphasis on equitable access to health services, migrant-inclusive health systems and continuity of care.
Human mobility is an increasingly defining feature of health systems worldwide. While migrants contribute significantly to societies and economies, they often face barriers to accessing services due to legal, financial, linguistic and social constraints, resulting in gaps in care and poorer health outcomes.
Accelerating progress while addressing persistent gaps
A high-level side event co-hosted by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the International Organization for Migration (IOM) during the Forum brought together governments, United Nations agencies, local governments and municipal authorities, civil society and youth representatives to take stock of progress and identify priorities for advancing migrants’ access to basic services.
Participants highlighted encouraging progress in recent years. Many countries are increasingly integrating migrant health into national policies, universal health coverage (UHC) strategies and broader development planning. This reflects growing recognition that health systems must adapt to population mobility.
“The question before us is no longer whether migrant health matters, but how we move from commitment to implementation,” said Mr Iori Kato, IOM Regional Director for Asia and the Pacific. “Migrant-inclusive access to basic services strengthens health systems, protects communities, and helps societies respond more effectively to the realities of human mobility.”
At the same time, progress remains uneven. Migrants, particularly those in vulnerable situations, continue to face structural and systemic barriers to accessing quality care. Evidence gaps and insufficiently disaggregated data further limit the ability of countries to design effective, equitable policies. Speakers stressed persistent structural challenges, including fragmented financing across humanitarian and development responses.
The discussion drew on emerging global evidence, including WHO’s recent global reporting on migrant and refugee health and IOM’s 2026 World Migration Report, which underscore both advances and the urgent need for scaled-up coordination action to address fragmentation in access to health services, including in strengthening data systems, governance and accountability,
“Equitable access to health for migrants is fundamental to resilient health systems and inclusive societies,” said Dr Santino Severoni, Head of WHO’s Special Initiative on Health and Migration. “We must strengthen data, partnerships and governance to translate commitments into measurable progress.”
Country experiences: translating policy into practice
Shared examples of progress across national and local contexts demonstrated how policy commitments are being translated into action:
- Azerbaijan outlined policy and institutional efforts to improve access to health services amid evolving migration dynamics including inclusive COVID-19 vaccination policies regardless of status, “safe access” approaches to care, and mechanisms such as a Migrant Council to support participation.
- Morocco highlighted its leadership in advancing migrant-inclusive health policies and strengthening national frameworks linking health and migration, including efforts linked to the Rabat Declaration and investments in digital civil registration systems.
- Portugal shared progress in developing culturally-responsive health services and integrating migrant health within broader health system reforms.
- Thailand presented its experience in expanding inclusive access through social protection schemes for registered workers, voluntary health insurance for others, and community-based approaches.
- Fuenlabrada, Spain, demonstrated the critical role of municipalities through a “single-door” model providing integrated access to health, housing and social services.
- IFRC/Spanish Red Cross emphasized community-based approaches, trust-building outreach, and the need to address fragmented humanitarian and development financing structures.
- Youth representatives called for meaningful inclusion of young migrants in decision-making, highlighting barriers such as fear, discrimination and gaps between policy entitlements and lived realities.
These experiences illustrate that progress is achievable when supported by enabling policies, local leadership and sustained collaboration.
From commitment to action
As the IMRF sets the direction for the period up until the next Forum, Forum participants reaffirmed that advancing migrant health is both necessary and achievable. Sustained political commitment, stronger partnerships and robust evidence will be critical to closing gaps and scaling solutions. Participants echoed a collective call to accelerate implementation of GCM Objective 15, with health at its core. Key priorities include:
- ensuring equitable access to quality health services by removing legal, financial and social barriers, regardless of migration status, and embedding migrant health within UHC policies;
- strengthening health system integration and service delivery by incorporating migrant health needs into national and local systems, while ensuring access to a broader set of essential services, including education and social protection;
- improving data, evidence and accountability to better monitor health outcomes, identify inequities and support evidence-informed policy-making;
- mobilizing sustainable and aligned financing to bridge humanitarian and development responses and support long-term system integration;
- advancing whole-of-government and whole-of-society approaches by strengthening multisectoral coordination, tackling discrimination and misinformation, and promoting inclusive, rights-based policies; and
- promoting meaningful participation of migrants and communities, including youth, in policy design, implementation and evaluation.
WHO, IOM, and partners remain committed to supporting countries in strengthening migrant-inclusive health systems, ensuring that no one is left behind, regardless of migration status.