Navigating uncertainty: Country Of Origin Information as a tool for the right to health - Abstract

Sep 30, 2026

Country of Origin Information (COI) reports are analyzed to understand their role in supporting asylum recognition and migrants’ right to health. The study reviews MedCOI reports requested to the Arci COI Service between March 2022 and March 2024. A mixed-method design combines statistical analysis of MedCOI reports by origin country and ICD-11 medical conditions with thematic analysis of requests and interviews with 10 service users. Results show 32 reports covering 18 countries and 61,845 accesses by March 2024, used in legal and reception settings to support risk prognosis and care-gap assessments.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryHealthcare

FormatPDF

Pages2

Reading Time5 min

AccessFree to download

OP 31: Refugees and Asylum Seekers

Aims

Methods

Results

Conclusions

2nd World Congress on Migration, Ethnicity, Race & Health Abstract Book vi71 Abstract citation ID: ckaf180.196 481 Navigating uncertainty: Country Of Origin Information as a tool for the right to health and migration Delia Da Mosto1,2, Andrea Zingarelli1, Sandra Foschini3, Filippo Miraglia3 1Country of Origin Information Service, Arci Solidarity Consortium, Rome, Italy 2Approdi Association, Bologna, Italy 3Arci Migration Office, Rome, Italy OP 31: Refugees and Asylum Seekers 6, B207 (FCSH), September 5, 2025, 09:00-10:00 Aims: Country of Origin Information reports (COI) play a crucial role in supporting the recognition of asylum. This study analyzes the MedCOI reports requested to the Arci COI Service between March 2022 and March 2024 to assess their role in supporting migrants’right to health and asylum. Methods: We adopted a mixed-method approach: Quantitative: Simple statistical analysis of MedCOI reports, categorizing them based on countries of origin and medical conditions following the ICD-11 classification; Qualitative: Thematic Analysis of the MedCOI requests and semistructured interviews with 10 COI service users to explore their experiences and perceptions of the service’s impact. Results: 32 MedCOI reports were produced, covering 18 countriesprimarily Tunisia (15.6%), Bangladesh (12.5%), and Nigeria (9.4%) . The most investigated health conditions fell into 12 ICD-11 macro categories, mainly: factors influencing health status or contact with health services (100.0%), mental, behavioral, and neurodevelopmental disorders (23.7%), diseases of the nervous system (21.1%), of themusculoskeletal system (18.4%), and infectious diseases (13.2%) . By March 2024, these reports had been accessed 61,845 times and were used in legal and reception settings (i.e. asylum requests and reception staff training) . They supported risk prognosis assessments by integrating medical evaluations of current health conditions with predictions of their deterioration in the absence of appropriate care in the country of origin. Conclusions: The COI service conducts interdisciplinary health condition analyses, considering not only the availability and accessibility of treatments but also intersectional factors of discrimination. It follows an integrated approach, linking clinical and public health knowledge with legal information to uphold the right to migration and health. The rise in requests reflects the increasingly vi72 European Journal of Public Health, Vol. 35, Supplement 6, 2025 restrictive migration policies in Italy, which directly and indirectly impact migrants’ health. The increase in mental health-related requests suggests a possible impact of institutional racism on migrants’ mental health.

FAQs

What is the study aiming to evaluate about MedCOI reports?

It assesses how MedCOI reports requested between March 2022 and March 2024 support migrants’ right to health and asylum recognition.

What methods does the study use?

It applies a mixed-method approach, combining quantitative statistical analysis of MedCOI reports with qualitative thematic analysis of requests and semistructured interviews with 10 COI service users.

How were the MedCOI reports used by March 2024?

By March 2024, the reports had been accessed 61,845 times and were used in legal and reception settings, supporting risk prognosis assessments and evaluations of deterioration without appropriate care in the country of origin.

Sep 30, 2026

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