Health, health services and mental health

The Committee is concerned that children without a residence permit are not considered eligible to be placed on general practitioners’ patient lists, being only entitled to emergency healthcare, and concerned with the high incidence of mental illness among unaccompanied asylum-seeking children living in reception centres, and that mental healthcare is not uniformly accessible and developed in the different regions. Recalling its general comment No. 15 (2013) on the right of the child to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of health, the Committee recommends that the State Party provide de facto access to asylum-seeking children and children without residence permits to primary and mental health services, and ensure that undocumented children have access to a family doctor.

The Committee recommends that the State Party allocate more and earmarked resources to ensure that children in all municipalities receive the same level of health care and specialist health services.