EXC: WHO Creates Global Migration Advisory Group, Pushes Free Migrant Healthcare

The World Health Organization announced on December 15, 2025 the launch of its first-ever Technical Advisory Group (TAG) on Health, Migration and Displacement.

According to WHO, the TAG was created to “advance health equity for migrants and displaced populations” and will provide advice on “normative guidance, data, research, capacity-building and policy development.”

The organization stated that the group brings together experts from all six WHO regions and will address migration as a long-term and structural issue rather than a temporary humanitarian concern.

“Refugees and migrants face significant barriers to accessing health services—barriers that cannot be overcome through humanitarian action alone,” WHO said in its announcement.

WHO Identifies Regional Priorities

WHO’s announcement outlines region-specific priorities, explicitly naming the Region of the Americas and the European Region and detailing policy approaches for each.

For the Region of the Americas, WHO stated:

“Amid rising migration, priorities presented include ensuring continuity of care, mental health, and sexual and reproductive health, supported by innovative policies such as migrant inclusion in public health insurance.”

The reference to public health insurance appears as part of WHO’s description of policy mechanisms relevant to migration in the region.

For the European Region, WHO identified different structural challenges and priorities, stating:

“With political polarization and structural barriers to care shaping migrants’ health outcomes, priorities include cross-border health information sharing and mainstreaming diversity in health policy.”

WHO did not reference emergency-only care in its description of either region’s priorities, instead framing migration within existing national and regional systems.

Migration Framed as a Structural Condition

Throughout the announcement, WHO repeatedly described migration as a defining feature of contemporary societies.

“Mobility is a defining feature of the 21st century,” the organization said, adding that health is “a universal right that must be upheld across borders.”

WHO stated that the TAG’s work will focus on ensuring that health systems are able to respond to migration “across the life course” and throughout migrants’ movement between countries.

The organization also cited global population figures to support its approach:

“More than one billion people globally are migrants or displaced,” WHO said.

Scope of the Advisory Group

According to WHO, the TAG will advise on:

“Strategic direction, policy priorities, research gaps, and technical guidance related to health, migration and displacement.”

WHO stated that the advisory group’s work will support its broader Global Action Plan on Refugee and Migrant Health, which runs through 2030.

The announcement does not specify how recommendations related to public health insurance inclusion or cross-border coordination would be implemented by member states, nor does it address funding mechanisms or legislative processes.

WHO stated that the TAG will meet regularly and contribute to future WHO guidance, regional initiatives, and policy frameworks related to migration and health.