Abstract

By incorporating a structural approach to social determinants of health theory, this article explores self-rated health among migrants residing in Sweden and Greece, which represent immigration countries with distinct features in their integration policies. The indicative findings show that in countries with more restrictive integration policies such as Greece, migrants’ socio-economic disadvantages play a key role in shaping poor self-rated health. On the contrary, in countries with more inclusive integration policies such as Sweden, lack of specific forms of social capital makes migrants more vulnerable to poor self-rated health. It is recommended that, specifically in the context of the recent refugee crisis, further research is needed to fully understand the mediating role of integration policies on migrants’ health.