People have always migrated for a variety of reasons, to seek work, education and to seek protection from conflict, natural disasters and persecution. While Ireland has a long history of emigration, since the early 2000s the trend has changed and there are more refugees and migrants coming into Ireland than before. Therefore gaining greater insights into refugee and migrants’ health needs is urgently needed.
In 2022, the University of Limerick (UL) with support from the Heath Research Board, hosted a successful inaugural refugee and migrant health seminar. This event was sold out and highlighted the value of growing networks and regularly sharing knowledge about ways of optimising refugee and migrant health in Ireland. Therefore, the World Health Organisation (WHO) Collaborating Centre for migrants’ involvement in health research, UL, is proposing to host the 2nd National Refugee and Migrant health research seminar and to establish this as a biannual national event going forward to have a regular opportunity to review evidence for improving health services and policies. The purpose of this 2024 seminar is to provide a platform for people from community, healthcare, policy and academic settings, to network and share knowledge on responses to refugee and migrant health, in Ireland. This is important because it facilitates the inter-sectoral sharing of innovative initiatives ‘on the ground’ and research outcomes identifying levers, barriers and gaps in refugee and migrant health. It is important that there is focussed space for dissemination and collective voice to inform future research, practice and policy.
This seminar will be of interest to people with lived experience of migration; civil society organisations interested in refugee and migrant health; health service planners, managers and providers; health policy makers and academics. Seminar outputs will be disseminated via social media platforms to maximise impact.