Migration and Health

Our approach

Migration and health are deeply interconnected. Migrants often arrive with strong health and wellbeing, yet over time many experience widening health gaps linked to social exclusion, unequal access to services, discrimination, and structural barriers within receiving societies. These patterns are shaped not only by migration status, but also by broader social, economic, political, and historical contexts that influence how health systems are designed and who they serve.

Across countries, migration highlights the need for more inclusive, equitable, and community-informed approaches to health and wellbeing. Addressing migrant health requires moving beyond narrow ideas of settlement or integration to consider how policies, institutions, and social conditions support or undermine collective wellbeing across diverse populations. Migration also offers opportunities to rethink health systems, strengthen social belonging, and promote more holistic, whole-of-society approaches to care.

Our research focus

Research under this theme examines how migration shapes health and wellbeing across the life course and across different social and institutional contexts. It focuses on identifying the conditions that promote health equity, reduce disparities, and support meaningful participation and belonging for migrants and receiving communities alike.

Key areas of inquiry include:

• The social, economic, and structural factors that shape migrant health and wellbeing over time, including access to health care, housing, employment, and social support
• Health equity and inclusion in migration contexts, with attention to how race, gender, sexuality, legal status, and other intersecting factors influence health outcomes
• Community-centred and participatory approaches to improving health and wellbeing, including strategies that engage migrant communities in identifying needs and co-creating solutions
• The role of health systems, policies, and service delivery models in supporting inclusive and culturally responsive care in diverse societies
• Indigenous and decolonial perspectives on migration, health, and care, and their implications for more just and relational approaches to wellbeing
• The use of digital tools and emerging technologies to improve access to health services, information, and support, while addressing questions of equity, trust, and inclusion
• Creative, social, and collective practices that foster connection, resilience, and wellbeing among migrants and across communities