Assessing Language Access and Barriers to Health Information for Indonesian Migrants in The Netherlands

Abstract

Migration to a different country requires a challenging adjustment process. Migrants encounter a range of challenges when adapting to their new environment, but the language barrier is the most significant obstacle that affects their overall well-being. The issue becomes particularly crucial and poses a significant concern for migrants when they search for health and medical information in the country to which they have migrated. This study aimed to examine the linguistic requirements of Indonesians in terms of accessing medical information and receiving healthcare services. The study was partnered with the Indonesia Migrant Workers Union (IMWU), based in Rotterdam, Netherlands. This research endeavor involved interviews with 18 Indonesian migrants employed in the Netherlands. This study employs the communication barrier hypothesis, as elucidated by Robbin in 1996, and the language barrier theory, proposed by Feely and Harzing in 2003, to substantiate its conclusions. The findings demonstrate that Indonesian migrants are generally able to utilize the Indonesian language to effectively search for and obtain health and medical information in The Netherlands. This is mostly due to their heavy reliance on the presence of IMWU, which greatly assists them in locating material in their mother tongue. Despite being aware of the limitations of utilizing Indonesian, many struggle to acquire proficiency in Dutch or English.