Conservatives would turn away immigrants with TB
Would-be immigrants suffering from tuberculosis would not be allowed to settle in the UK, under proposals announced by the Conservative Party.
And decisions on those suffering from other illnesses such as hepatitis or HIV would be taken on a case by case basis – depending on the potential cost to the NHS.
The Conservative Party proposes that anybody from outside the EU wishing to settle in Britain will have to undertake tests for HIV, TB and hepatitis – at their own expense in their own countries – to demonstrate that they have an “acceptable standard of health”.
The Conservatives say that applicants will have to prove they are “unlikely to be a danger to public health in the UK” and “unlikely to impose significant costs or demands” on the NHS.
Those with TB will be forbidden entry to the UK.
Those visiting Britain from outside the EU for between six months and a year from a country with a high incidence of TB will have to undergo a chest x-ray. Those visiting Britain on a temporary basis – under six months – will be exempt unless they intend to work in healthcare, childcare or teaching.
The Conservatives say the idea is based on schemes already practised in Australia, Canada and New Zealand.
Leader Michael Howard said: “The British people deserve the best standards of public health. We need to control who is coming to Britain to ensure that they are not a public health risk and to protect access to the NHS. It’s plain common sense”.
The proposals would not affect anybody claiming asylum. But, certified refugees would still undergo health checks on arrival “to ensure that they receive any necessary medical treatment and do not spread infectious diseases on arrival.”
The Tories quoted statistics from the Health Protection Agency, which found in 2002 only four cases of TB were recorded per 100,000 people born in the UK. This compared to 73 per 100,000 for those born abroad.
The party said eighty per cent of people found to have heterosexually-acquired HIV in the UK in 2003 are thought to have been infected in Africa.
Alan Milburn, Labour’s general election co-ordinator, said that the Conservatives were “flailing around” and the Government had already introduced TB screening for high-risk immigrants.
He said: “Today’s ‘announcement’ is a reheat of Tory policy from two years ago. Three weeks ago at their immigration and asylum policy launch, health screening was such an urgent issue it didn’t even warrant a mention.
“The Tories are flailing around because they have failed to make any sort of headway.”
He added that Labour’s “five year plan also makes clear our approach is that, as part of the visa application process, it will be necessary for people from the countries with the highest risk of tuberculosis to undergo screening to prove they are clear of TB, otherwise they will be refused permission to travel to the United Kingdom until clear of the disease.”
And, a coalition of anti-racism campaigners and the Terence Higgins Trust said that introducing TB and HIV tests would stigmatise immigrants and minority communities.
They claim previous research from the ippr and the BMA suggested that migrants and asylum seekers are more likely to contract TB and other health problems after they arrive in the UK. The campaigners also added that spending on HIV suffers only makes up one per cent of the NHS budget.
Lisa Power, head of policy at Terrence Higgins Trust said: “This is not an effective policy and there is no proof that similar measures have worked elsewhere. In fact, it would be more likely to drive people with health conditions to falsify tests while others gain entry by simple dint of their EU status. This is a prejudice-based policy not an evidence-based one.”
Milena Buyum, vice chair of the National Assembly Against Racism, called for other parties to condemn the Conservatives policies.
She said: “Yet again, the Tories are attempting to gain support for divisive and racist policies in the run up to the general election, under the thin veil of public health concerns. This is an approach that must be condemned by all.
“Proposing compulsory screening of TB and HIV to justify a policy of quotas for migrants and asylum seekers will create a false dichotomy between disease and minority ethnic communities.” She added that: “These proposals are not part of a legitimate and measured debate but are based on prejudice and racism for political gain, with the vulnerable and the voiceless standing the most to lose.”
