Are HIV positive asylum seekers an unfair burden on the NHS?

Argues that HIV specialists must give asylum seekers the care that they need. The extra burden on the NHS is one of the issues cited in the controversy over the number of asylum seekers entering the United Kingdom. The second view is that most of the HIV positive asylum seekers are either "health tourists" (coming here for treatment they couldn't afford at home) or economic migrants abusing our system, and we shouldn't be using scarce resources on them. I suspect that although most healthcare professionals who come into contact with this group of patients would admit that both sides of the argument have some truth they largely sympathise with the first point of view. Until such universal care is available, HIV specialists have no realistic option, practically or ethically, but to give HIV positive asylum seekers the care they need and to support their applications to remain in Britain.