Immigrants' and refugees' experiences of access to health and social services during the COVID-19 pandemic in Toronto, Canada.

ABSTRACT:

Objective

In 2020, the World Health Organization reported that immigrants were the most vulnerable to contracting COVID, due to a confluence of personal and structural barriers. This study explored how immigrants and refugees experienced access to health and social services during the first wave of COVID-19 in Toronto, Canada.

Methods

This study analyzed secondary data from a qualitative study that was conducted between May and September 2020 in Toronto that involved semi-structured interviews with 72 immigrants and refugees from 21 different countries. The secondary data analysis was informed by critical realism.

Results

The vast majority of participants experienced fear and anxiety during the COVID-19 outbreak but through a combination of self-reliance and community

SUBMITTER: Leung D 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9382571 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature