Africa: For Migrant Women, The Right to Healthcare Does Not Always Mean Access
[allAfrica] Mombasa, Kenya -- Over the past year, South Africa has witnessed several incidents in which migrants, asylum seekers and undocumented people have reportedly faced barriers to essential healthcare, including maternal and child health services.
Mombasa, Kenya — In recent years, South Africa has seen numerous cases where migrants, asylum seekers, and undocumented individuals have encountered difficulties accessing essential healthcare, particularly maternal and child health services. For many women who have fled their countries due to conflict, persecution, or political instability, the challenges do not disappear upon arrival.
Hostility towards foreigners in some communities can create additional barriers, with migrants being questioned about their documentation when seeking healthcare, education, work, and other basic services. These obstacles can be particularly severe for women, as they may hesitate to seek antenatal care or other services due to fear of being asked for documentation they do not possess.
The issues faced by migrant women are not always visible as acts of physical violence; they can also manifest as everyday barriers, discrimination, and institutional obstacles that prevent them from accessing basic services and rebuilding their lives. One striking example is a woman from Malawi who gave birth in an open space within a deportation holding area, without any medical professionals present and without access to the necessary care and testing for both the mother and child.
While South Africa has policies and laws that recognize the right to healthcare and protect human dignity, the reality on the ground often differs significantly from these legal guarantees. Human rights activist Tsakani Mabasa, who studies how migrant women access sexual and reproductive health services in South Africa, highlights the gap between policy and practice.
Mabasa's research reveals that while South Africa has constitutional protections for healthcare and free care for pregnant women, lactating mothers, and children under six, including asylum seekers, undocumented migrants, and stateless people, these protections are regularly tested in practice. In December 2025, a Gauteng High Court ordered authorities to allow unhindered access to healthcare clinics for people without South African identity documents after vigilante groups had blocked them from entering.
Despite this ruling, Operation Dudula, a vigilante group, was accused of blocking access to clinics in Johannesburg, preventing a Malawian mother from reaching the Alexandra clinic in time for her child's delivery, ultimately leading to the child's death. The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) filed criminal charges against Operation Dudula's former leader, Zandile Dabula, over the child's death.
However, the court acknowledged that undocumented foreign nationals have a right to primary healthcare, but these legal protections have not translated into equitable access on the ground. Public health researchers argue that the failures in healthcare access are due to mismanagement and years of underinvestment rather than the presence of foreign nationals.
Despite the court's recognition of this right, the problem persists, illustrating how legal protections can exist in theory while migrants continue to face barriers when trying to access healthcare.
Written by urgent.news from AllAfrica Health's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
