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Migrants Porte de la Chapelle in Paris on June 29, 2017. The ANRS Parcours survey shows that between "a third and half of infected people" are affected by the HIV virus after their arrival in France. CHRISTOPHE ARCHAMBAULT / AFP

In its first report on the health of migrants in Europe, WHO concludes that migrants are more vulnerable to the disease. If they are not necessarily in poor health at the time of their arrival, their precarious living conditions expose them to infectious diseases, diabetes or depression. But WHO is also taking advantage of this to dispel some of the prejudices.

With our correspondent in Geneva, Jérémie Lanche

First conclusion: Migrants are less exposed to noncommunicable diseases such as cancer or stroke upon arrival. But the longer they stay, the more they are at risk. One of the major problems remains infectious diseases , such as tuberculosis. Except that the disparities are enormous according to the countries, on the one hand, but also according to the statutes of the migrants.

" In most cases, illegal migrants do not have access to health systems. This is the best way to protect not only migrants, but also the people of these countries. The benefits far outweigh the cost of taking care of these clandestine migrants. We still need to refine the economic analysis, but it is already an argument that we can use with European states, "says Zsuzsanna Jakab, the WHO Regional Director for Europe.

The report also breaks down several myths. No, not all migrants have HIV. They contract the disease more easily in Europe. WHO also states that migrants transmit very few diseases to host countries.

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