New WHO interim guidance provides useful information on what Member States, health-care authorities and employers can do to protect migrant workers from COVID-19 and its repercussions. It further highlights the essential contribution of migrant workers to their host societies in the WHO European Region, and how COVID-19 preparedness, response and recovery activities are impacting migrant workers’ health.
COVID-19 directly and indirectly affects migrant workers’ health
The COVID-19 pandemic and the measures put in place to curb the spread of the disease within and across countries have caused disruptions in labour markets and population mobility, which have harmed the health and livelihoods of many migrant workers.
“Migrant workers often serve in frontline roles in health care, transport, construction, agriculture and agro-food processing in the WHO European Region. During the COVID-19 pandemic, they have been contributing greatly to their host societies and economies. This interim guidance highlights how they face specific challenges, which require holistic economic, social-protection and employment policies,” said Dr Gundo Aurel Weiler, Director of the Division of Country Support and Emergencies.
Migrant workers may be employed in temporary, informal or unprotected work, which makes them especially vulnerable to job loss and wage reductions during the COVID-19 pandemic. They also tend to live and work in crowded conditions that do not enable them to comply with physical distancing, which puts them at increased risk of contracting COVID-19.
Many, especially those without documentation or those employed in the informal economy (also known as the grey economy), face problems regarding their work permits and visas, and have limited or no access to:
- health-care services and personal protective equipment;
- sick pay, unemployment or social benefits; or
- linguistically and culturally appropriate health information about their rights and infection prevention regulations.
Actions or inactions in one country are far-reaching
The guidance highlights how migrant workers may suffer disproportionately from travel restrictions and border regulations. Migrant workers are stuck between a rock and a hard place: their access to economic opportunities and social support in host countries is limited or lacking entirely, yet they cannot leave without the risk of incurring fines, debt, or additional health risks for themselves and their communities upon their return home.
If they do succeed in returning, they may face unemployment, social backlash and stigmatization from those who blame them either for potentially spreading COVID-19 or for failing in sending remittances, which are a lifeline for many families and communities.
Community, national, regional and global multisectoral coordination are key
“If we are to improve the health of migrant workers, as well as the health of populations in host and origin countries, we need a strong, collaborative, multisectoral and cross-border approach across our Member States. This new interim guidance offers practical recommendations that can help address the challenges faced by migrant workers and mitigate the negative impact of the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Dr Hans Henri P. Kluge, WHO Regional Director for Europe.
Policy recommendations for Member States include:
- collaborating across migrant-sending, -transit and -receiving countries;
- adhering to WHO guidelines for quarantine and home isolation measures;
- including migrant workers in COVID-19 response and recovery measures;
- actively preventing stigmatization and discrimination against migrant workers and returning migrants; and
- promoting culturally and linguistically appropriate COVID-19-related information within migrant worker communities and at borders and points of entry.
WHO/Europe also calls for employers and workers’ organizations to:
- protect the occupational safety and health of migrant workers by developing COVID-19 prevention strategies and plans; and
- educate migrant workers on infection prevention measures, as well as their right to access health-care services.
Lastly, the interim guidance lists the following steps for health-care authorities and providers:
- collect and report disaggregated data by migrant status and occupation to better understand the impact of the pandemic on migrant worker populations; and
- train health-care workers on migrant-sensitive approaches so they can recognize the different vulnerabilities of migrant workers.
The COVID-19 pandemic has put a magnifying glass on migrant workers’ different vulnerabilities and the interconnectedness of people’s well-being, regardless of their legal status or economic contribution to a society’s wealth. By following a human rights-based approach on all levels of COVID-19-related intervention, Member States can ensure no one is left behind and everyone’s health is protected.