Migrants’ Right to Health – Legal and Policy Instruments Related to Migrants’ Access to Health Care, Social Protection and Labour in Selected East African Countries

The Eastern and Horn of Africa region is one of the world’s most dynamic areas in terms of migration, driven by a complex interplay of economic, social, and security factors. Migrants and mobile populations in this region face numerous challenges in accessing essential healthcare services, including the absence of migrant-inclusive healthcare laws and policies, and the inaccessibility of services.

This report examines the implementation of international legal instruments in Burundi, Rwanda, Kenya, and Uganda, focusing on ensuring migrants’ and refugees’ access to healthcare services, labor, and social protection. The findings indicate that most national legal frameworks in these countries provide insufficient coverage of key migration-related themes such as migration, health, social protection, and labor outlined in international and regional instruments. Furthermore, there is considerable variation in how these themes are addressed across the four countries. The national legal instruments generally lack clear, enforceable language guaranteeing migrants’ rights to healthcare, labor systems, social security, and social assistance.

The report highlights the urgent need for well-monitored national implementation roadmaps to ensure the enforcement and alignment of these legal frameworks with international standards, thereby safeguarding the rights and welfare of migrants in these countries.