Access to healthcare for female asylum seekers in Groningen
Updated: Sep 19
Groningen, 30 September 2025 - The Municipal Health Service in Groningen (GGD) announced on September 24 future investigations around more accessible local healthcare services for female asylum seekers. This comes after GGD’s Closer to Care study revealed that many people from this group struggle with accessing care.
Female asylum seekers who participated in the study stressed the importance of support in cases of violence, information about their health and contraception. The study also highlighted the obstacles women face when accessing the help they need, such as language barriers, distance to facilities and taboos around sensitive topics.
The Groningen-Eemsgolaan asylum seeker centre manages healthcare through the GZA (Healthcare for Asylum Seekers). This falls under the Regeling Medische Zorg Asielzoekers (Arrangement Medical Care for Asylum Seekers), a legal framework comparable to the basic health insurance system for Dutch citizens, according to the shelter’s press officer.
The centre also follows COA’s (Central Agency for the Reception of Asylum Seekers) “trauma-sensitive approach”, said the spokesperson, adding that it takes impactful experiences into consideration and focuses on providing a safe and dependable space.
“We are in close contact with the asylum seekers, and when specialized care is required, we contact GZA”, mentioned the press officer.
The Groningen-Eemsgolaan centre is an emergency shelter that opened on December 4, 2024, and currently hosts 300 asylum seekers, according to the spokesperson. “We hope that the centre will be granted a regular status for the next nine years by the municipality of Groningen”, said the representative, regarding the management agreement ending in December 2025.
Maya Fouzi Hasan (18) is a young woman from Syria, who arrived at the Groningen-Eemsgolaan centre ten months ago.
The young woman pointed out that the asylum seekers can talk to the nurse present at their location if they need help. “You tell her your situation, whether it’s mentally or physically, and she will try to help you with a solution, if she can”, said Maya.
Most asylum seekers come from different cultures in the Middle East, which implies that they have distinct mindsets, according to Maya.
“When a woman goes through something, some people might find it negative and some people might stand with her. So, it’s kind of hard for some people to talk […] and speak up about it, especially women, because they are scared of being judged”, said Maya.
“If you speak up about it, they will help you […]. Anything you speak about or when you seek help in general, they always try to help you”, emphasized Maya about the accessibility to care at the centre.
There is also room for improvement, in Maya’s opinion. Doctors need to check asylum seekers’ medical records to “see what they need to do right now”, said Maya about the difficulty of adapting to a different healthcare system.
“My mum used to take medication and they stopped it once she came here. […] After she stopped using them, the heart pills, her heart started getting faster”, recalled Maya. “It might be confusing for the doctor because they don’t know what she used to go through”.
Story initially published on Under the RUG
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