Samant Yogindra, Fabregat Mireya R, Seneviratne Mahinda
Norwegian Labour Inspection Authority, Trondheim, Norway.
Independent Global Health and Safety Consultant, Spain.
Saf Health Work. 2025 Jun;16(2):255-257. doi: 10.1016/j.shaw.2025.04.001. Epub 2025 Apr 14.
This paper examines the overlooked health and hygiene challenges faced by migrant workers in Europe, focusing on their substandard housing conditions. Migrant workers, crucial to sectors like agriculture, manufacturing, and healthcare, are often housed in overcrowded, unsanitary environments that contribute to serious health risks. Poor ventilation, inadequate sanitation, and pest infestations lead to the spread of infectious diseases, respiratory issues, and gastrointestinal ailments. Additionally, the psychosocial impact of insecure living conditions-stress, anxiety, and depression-further harms workers' well-being. These housing issues intersect with occupational hazards, exacerbating the health burden for workers in demanding, highrisk jobs. Despite the gravity of these problems, there is a significant lack of data and research, hindering effective policy action. The paper calls for stronger regulations on housing quality, improved access to healthcare, and enhanced occupational health measures to protect migrant workers. It also advocates for increased research and international cooperation to address these issues. The paper urges key stakeholders like the ILO, WHO, and ICOH to collaborate on developing comprehensive strategies to improve housing, health, and safety for migrant workers, ensuring their health and well-being is prioritized in policy and practice across Europe, and globally.
本文探讨了欧洲移民工人所面临的被忽视的健康与卫生挑战，重点关注他们不达标的住房条件。移民工人对农业、制造业和医疗保健等行业至关重要，却常常居住在过度拥挤、不卫生的环境中，这会带来严重的健康风险。通风不良、卫生设施不足以及虫害滋生导致传染病传播、呼吸系统问题和胃肠道疾病。此外，不安全生活条件带来的心理社会影响——压力、焦虑和抑郁——进一步损害了工人的健康。这些住房问题与职业危害相互交织，加重了从事高要求、高风险工作的工人的健康负担。尽管这些问题很严重，但数据和研究严重不足，阻碍了有效的政策行动。本文呼吁加强对住房质量的监管，改善医疗保健服务的可及性，并加强职业健康措施以保护移民工人。它还倡导增加研究和国际合作来解决这些问题。本文敦促国际劳工组织、世界卫生组织和国际职业卫生委员会等关键利益相关方合作制定全面战略，以改善移民工人的住房、健康和安全状况，确保在欧洲乃至全球的政策和实践中优先考虑他们的健康和福祉。
