ABSTRACT
This chapter reviews concepts of interest and describe the origins and magnitude of the contemporary phenomenon, and explores the convergence of academic disciplines into the relatively new field of forced migration studies. It presents selected data on the main health issues related to forced migration, as well as on institutional responses to those issues. The chapter outlines a potential agenda for health-related global policies with respect to forced migrants. In 2016, the images of overcrowded, small boats crossing the Mediterranean Sea, often sinking tragically off the coast of Europe, raised worldwide concern about the magnitude and risks of contemporary forced migration. Despite the scale of the global forced migration phenomenon, little attention has been given to the health needs of the migrants themselves. Studies investigating relations between and among migration, health status, and health-seeking behaviour are conceptually and methodologically challenging. Mental health is a special concern at all stages of migration.
