340 (In)visible lives in limbo - rights in a grey zone policy, law, and practice in responding to substance use problems among undocumented migrants in Denmark

PTH 3: Mental Health and Refugees 1, B307 (FCSH), September 3, 2025, 17:00 - 17:54 Since 2015, as Europe has faced increasing forced migration, Denmark has adopted a restrictive approach, marked by higher rejection rates, deportation camps, and limited access to healthcare and welfare services. Migrants, particularly those undocumented, often experience poor mental health and substance use as coping mechanisms for trauma and loss. However, there is a lack of research on how Danish migration policies impact the everyday lives and health of undocumented migrants. This article examines how Danish law, migration, healthcare, and welfare policies place undocumented migrants in highly vulnerable positions. It explores how these legal-political frameworks shape the risk and enabling environments for undocumented migrants who use drugs in deportation centers, prisons, and open drug scenes. The empirical data combines policy analysis of Danish immigration, healthcare, and social welfare laws with semi-structured qualitative interviews with professionals working in environments frequented by undocumented migrants, such as substance use treatment centers, Red Cross clinics, street legal aid, and prison health units. This study focuses on the macro-level role of law and policy in the Danish welfare state, how practitioners interpret these frameworks at the meso level, and their effects on the experiences of undocumented migrants. While harm reduction is a key component of Danish drug policy, the welfare system only fully recognizes registered migrants. The absence of clear guidelines for treating undocumented migrants leaves their rights in a grey zone, complicating access to somatic and mental healthcare. The findings underscore the need to protect the rights of vulnerable undocumented migrants with substance use problems and highlight the importance of finding durable solutions for their precarious lives.