Sweden found guilty of violating the right to healthcare

The European Committee of Social Rights has ruled that Sweden violated the right to healthcare. The country discriminated against EU migrants by denying them equal access to care or charging them the full cost of necessary treatment. 

The case was brought jointly by Doctors of the World Sweden and Amnesty International. It is only the third time in nearly 30 years that Sweden has been found in violation of the Social Charter. 

“We welcome this decision. It confirms what we have witnessed repeatedly throughout our 35 years as a care provider – that people are denied the healthcare they need and are entitled to, despite having a legal right to receive it,” says Hannah Laustiola, Executive Director of Médecins du Monde Sweden. 

“Among the 129 cases included in our complaint were people with serious chronic illnesses who were denied treatment, patients who refrained from seeking care because they feared unaffordable bills, and pregnant women who received invoices amounting to thousands of euros. These are not isolated incidents but evidence of a systemic failure with serious consequences for people’s health.” 

The ruling also found that people were treated differently depending on which region of Sweden they sought care in, and differently again compared to other migrant groups. The Committee confirmed indirect discrimination on the basis of ethnic origin. The majority of the people affected identify as Roma, communities that already face widespread discrimination and social exclusion across Europe.

This pattern, of people being blocked from healthcare is not unique to Sweden. In the UK, the NHS migrant charging policy set out by the UK government means that people with insecure immigration status can face charges for treatment or avoid seeking care altogether out of fear of the consequences. We see the same chilling effect in our UK clinics every day. 

“We are witnessing a worrying trend in Sweden and across Europe, where structural racism is deepening and political leaders are increasingly questioning and restricting the fundamental human rights of people with migrant backgrounds,” says Anna Johansson, Director of Amnesty Sweden. “This decision is an important reminder that states must respect everyone’s social rights and ensure that they are realised in practice. Human rights are not optional – they belong to everyone, without discrimination.” 

Doctors of the World and Amnesty International are calling on the Swedish Government to act without delay – ensuring all EU citizens can access healthcare without discrimination. 

Doctors of the World UK echoes that call. We will keep pushing for an end to the charging policies that deter people from care because healthcare is a human right.