Table 3 Main findings of the study

   • ER physicians reported no difference in admission or treatment of undocumented migrants

   • Lack of access to previous medical records was a problem for ER physicians

   • Delay in treatment seeking implied that undocumented migrants presented with more advanced disease

   • Providing treatment for undocumented migrants increased the administrative work.

Access to GP care

   • Lack of formal entitlements to primary care made access more difficult

   • If the general practitioner agreed to treat the undocumented migrant, there was no difference in the services they offer in their own clinic

   • Referral pathways are more complicated for undocumented migrants e.g. only access to external diagnostic facilities at the ER

   • Follow-up was problematic due to lack of continuity of care for undocumented migrants.

Language issues

   • Diagnosing was complicated due to language problems

   • Language barriers made it difficult for the health professional to provide psychosocial support to the undocumented migrant.

Strategies for solving financial issues for GPs

   • GP covered expenses of treatment

   • GP offered treatment at a charge.

Uncertainty of the health professionals

   • GPs were uncertain concerning hospital admission of undocumented migrants

   • GPs were uncertain about whether they could prescribe medicine because the undocumented migrant had no social security number

   • The encounter with undocumented migrants could evoke unpleasant feelings in GPs

   • Health professionals did not know whether they were obliged to report undocumented migrants to the police.

Involvement of police or other authorities

   • Health professionals choose to focus solely on the medical problem of the undocumented migrant

   • Health professionals would report the undocumented migrant to the police only when they suspected a serious crime was involved

   • ER physicians would contact the police only if it was necessary for identification of the undocumented migrant or relatives in the case of a fatal outcome of treatment.