Labour migration during times of a pandemic: Lessons from COVID-19

169 million people were estimated to be migrant workers in 2019 (ILO, 2021). They are heavily represented in labour forces all over the world. Across European Union Member States, for example, they account for 53 per cent of the domestic services sector, 27 per cent of the accommodation and food services sector and 14 per cent of the human health and social work sector. In the United States, the equivalent figures are 50 per cent, 24 per cent and 17 per cent, respectively (OECD, 2020). Global pandemics have the potential to quickly disrupt this pattern.

In virtually all countries with established migration programmes, the COVID-19 outbreak led swiftly to the interruption or, at the very least, severe restriction of migrant worker intakes. These interruptions have consequences for the economy as a whole, the labour market, and, most of all, the migrants and communities themselves. There are also indications that migrant workers are more exposed to COVID-19 than their native counterparts, given the type of occupation they tend to have (Bossavie et al., 2020).

It may be too early to draw definitive conclusions from what has been, in effect, an unforeseen global-scale experiment involving an abrupt slowing down of labour migration flows across the world. Some trends, though, have emerged, even if they have done so unevenly.

• Sectors that rely on annual or seasonal migrant replenishment (such as agriculture – especially at harvest time – and health care) have noticeably suffered. Temporary migrant workers, whether from across the border or across the world, have long played an essential role in food cultivation and food supply chains, often taking on job slots that native workers are reluctant to occupy. One early consequence of COVID-19-related border closures was the loss of migrant workers engaged in labour-intensive farm work, especially at critically important sowing and harvesting stages. Once governments developed “safe” processes to bring in essential migrant workers, overcrowded accommodations nonetheless resulted in the increased spread of the virus.
• Many migrant workers left without work due to the pandemic have been able to return home, albeit reluctantly and at considerable expense. However, large contingents have been, in effect, “trapped” or stranded in their host countries for a variety of reasons, including lack of international transport or lack of resources. In these circumstances, they may be exposed to multiple situations of vulnerability, including loss of employment, lack of financial resources, difficulty in accessing health services or health insurance and crowded, unsafe, living environments.

From a broader perspective, there has been a drop in the volume of migrant remittances going back to developing countries, although this is not as significant as first predicted. The World Bank (2021) estimates that global remittance flows to low- and middle-income countries reached $540 billion in 2020, just 1.6 per cent below the 2019 total of £548 billion. This rather slight variation is consistent with past observations of the inclination of migrants to remit more in times of crisis, even though they may actually be earning less (Frankel, 2009). The shortfall will nevertheless be felt at the national level in remittance-receiving countries, in terms of balance of payment issues and pressure on currencies. Migrant families will also find it harder to bear the costs of housing, health care, education or even food.

From a migration management point of view, designing policy responses to these unforeseen developments requires a multistranded approach that links labour migration, health, development and even social welfare.

Following are some policy initiatives that have been introduced by affected countries, illustrating the importance of working on the intersections between policy sectors. Four broad orientations can be perceived:

• first, adjustments to legislation or regulations governing migrant residence and employment, to guarantee continuity of labour supply;
• second, steps to ensure that the health and welfare needs of migrant workers are met, with particular attention to those who are in a vulnerable situation as a consequence of the pandemic;
• third, measures to address the downturn in migrant remittances and to promote their continuing flow; and
• finally, arrangements to facilitate the social and economic reintegration of returning migrants when they are back in their country of origin.

It should be remembered that the COVID-19 pandemic has confronted migration policymakers with challenges never encountered before, against a constantly evolving public health background. The situation has evolved considerably since the appearance of the virus on the global scene. It continues to change, often in unpredictable ways. In many countries there have been several cycles of rapid onset, successful mitigation and resurgence of transmission. From these experiences, some lines of intervention are likely to persist. However, additional, policy innovations will inevitably have to be introduced in light of new developments.