4. Recognizing the Needs of Refugees: A Healthcare Access Lens

The number of refugees in the world is rising at an alarming rate. At the beginning of 2022, there were 35.3 million refugees, 62.5 million internally displaced people, 5.4 million asylum seekers and 5.2 million people in need of international protection. In September 2023, an estimated 114 million and above individuals were forcibly displaced worldwide (UNHCR 2024: 2). This escalating number means that the challenge of meeting the needs of refugees has also greatly increased. To illustrate this, the UNHCR requires a budget of 10.622 billion US dollars to provide life-saving assistance, protection, and solutions for a projected planning figure of 130.8 million forcibly displaced and stateless people by the end of 2024 (UNHCR 2024). Both the 2023 counting of forcibly displaced and stateless persons (114 million) and their projected number (130.8 million) exclude other forms of displaced persons like economic migrants and those who have already naturalised becoming citizens of their host countries. This chapter explores the healthcare needs of refugees and discusses best practices for health and social care professionals’ recognition and response to these urgent needs. Specific factors that health and social care professionals should be aware of to improve the accessibility of the care they provide are highlighted. The chapter also provides details for how health and social care professionals can ensure that they respond effectively to the different needs of people living with refugee experience. The discussion points focus on important issues that health and social care professionals need to recognise and incorporate into their daily practice to improve the quality of care they provide and reduce potential triggers of psychological distress.