Conclusion

Rights of migrants, and especially of those seeking asylum, have significantly diminished in recent years, both in terms of their ability to enter and remain in the UK, and to make use of the British health and welfare system. This has had a particularly severe impact on people with HIV whose immigration status is insecure but it also affects others with secure status who may also find it hard to access services to which they are legally entitled. Public officials may believe that they can legitimately turn people away, and this may be compounded by further pressures on services as they are cut, and the frequent deployment of people with inadequate training or support in frontline roles. 

This chapter has described only the surface of the complex maze that is current UK policy relating to migrants and their welfare rights. However, we hope it has indicated the importance of obtaining high-quality specialist advice to ensure that migrants with HIV, with or without leave to remain, are not unnecessarily deprived of entitlements, and to help them navigate what can often seem an impenetrable and incomprehensible system.