Protecting Migrant workers in time of crisis
Millions of migrant workers around the world provide valuable income for their families and contribute more broadly to the economies of both their home and host countries. Now, as a result of border closures and widespread lockdowns, many are unable to take shelter, to go home, or to report for work. As the global Covid-19 crisis unfolds, the measures to contain the novel coronavirus are also being felt by migrant workers across the world, who are trying to make their way back home or unable to travel to work.
The answers to these challenges as well as to the longer-term problems facing economies worldwide lie in lifting travel bans for migrant workers with seasonal work visas and in implementing measures that effectively protect workers from Covid-19 while containing its spread. Host countries should look at providing access to safe accommodation that would allow migrant workers to be able to self-isolate. Access to healthcare services and insurance in case of illness, as well as to basic income support, should also be guaranteed. While lockdowns may be necessary in some areas, policy-makers must also consider alternatives that would not lead to the working poor being deprived of their livelihoods for prolonged periods. Other immediate actions include sharing information about Covid-19 in the most commonly spoken languages among migrants.
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