Rajoy issues warning to regions giving health cards to illegal migrants

Spain’s conservative Popular Party (PP) government has warned four regions that they face strong measures for passing laws that give undocumented migrants health cards and unlimited access to the public healthcare system within their jurisdictions.

Health Ministry general secretary Rubén Moreno on Thursday told Congress that the European Union could impose “multi-million” fines on Spain if the regions in question – Aragon, Valencia, the Balearic Islands and Cantabria – chose to circumvent the government’s 2012 decree that places limits on healthcare access for those without residency papers.

The Madrid PP premier has announced she will create a healthcare document specifically for illegal migrants

The consequences could be “catastrophic,” he added, warning that the government was prepared to take measures against those regions found to be “infringing state powers.”

But Moreno’s words seem to have provoked the opposite of their intended effect, prompting more regional administrations to announce plans to introduce similar legislation.

Madrid PP regional premier Cristina Cifuentes said on Friday that her administration would in the next few months create a new document, different from a regular health card, specifically designed to allow those without residency papers to receive primary and specialized healthcare in the region.

Read the full story here: http://elpais.com/elpais/2015/08/21/inenglish/1440161666_795419.html

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