Migration and the COVID-19 Crisis: Current and Future Impacts (Briefing note n°4)

People on the move are very vulnerable to the spread of epidemics due to the crowded conditions in camps and temporary settlements, their mobility, or the lack of prevention messages directed towards them, even though the presence of humanitarian actors can limit the risks. The explosion of cases that humanitarian organisations working with uprooted populations feared has not yet taken place. These fears are nevertheless legitimate and require a high level of vigilance, and the implementation of essential preparatory and prevention measures.

The socio-economic impact of the measures taken to stop the spread of the epidemic is being felt, notably through the reduction of money being sent by migrant workers, and is already having a major impact on the economies of households and developing countries. It is therefore important to imagine or reinvent ‘safety net’ type mechanisms in order to meet the needs of numerous families and limit the risk of an explosion of social anger and food riots.

Once the worst of the epidemic and the crisis have passed, respect for fundamental human rights will also be a concern, and particularly those related to mobility and asylum. With the closing of borders, emergency laws, the holding up or suspension of asylum procedures, infringements on refugee and migrant rights will need to be monitored and opposed.