More undocumented migrants are relying on the healthcare system even though they are barred from taking out insurance.
The CAK, the agency that administers healthcare-related benefits, said the number of claims made by uninsured migrants increased by 30% in the last year.
Researchers and community agencies said the problem is linked to long-stay migrants who need more care as they get older.
Often they delay seeking medical help because of their illegal status, with the result that their condition worsens and they need more extensive treatment.
“More and more older people are turning to community medics in the homeless accommodation system and they often need complex treatment,” Richard Staring, researcher at Erasmus University in Rotterdam, said.
People living in the Netherlands without documents are entitled to the equivalent of the basic state insurance package, even though they…
