The increased vulnerability of refugees to COVID-19 stems largely from their living environments. Initially, refugees were broadly considered to be a relatively protected group from the pandemic, as camps are somewhat cut off from neighbouring communities. However, overcrowding in camps makes them the ideal place for the spread of infectious diseases, and COVID-19 is no exception. When the virus infects one individual, it has the potential to rapidly inundate the camps. This issue is exacerbated by inadequate hygiene facilities and a lack of running water.
Reports show that there has been a rise in positive cases in refugee camps, particularly in Syria. However, these reports arguably understate the magnitude of the problem. Firstly, a lack of resources could result in the limited availability of testing, meaning that the true number of cases will likely go unreported. Secondly, even if testing is made accessible, there is a risk of inaccurate reporting—people in the camps may be reluctant to report symptoms if this means that they will be quarantined and separated from their family members. This highlights clear challenges for the tracking and reporting of cases within refugee camps.
Migrants are more at risk of exposure to the virus itself, and they are also more likely to suffer financial hardship as a consequence of changes to national and global economies in response to the pandemic. Refugees are generally more likely to be unemployed, but those who are employed are 60% more likely to work in sectors such as retail, manufacturing, and jobs in the informal economy—those which are most impacted by these changes. As a result, many refugees face increased exposure to the virus as well as the possibility of unemployment.
INCREASED MARGINALISATION
Unfortunately, this heightened vulnerability has not resulted in an increased prioritisation of protections for refugees by policymakers. From a legal viewpoint, refugees are seemingly well-protected. This safeguarding, such as through the right to health codified in international law, should theoretically continue during a pandemic. Yet, in the face of a crisis, already-stigmatised minority groups are often further marginalised. For example, Matteo Salvini, an influential Italian right-wing politician, blamed high COVID-19 infection rates on refugees and dramatically opposed the Italian prime minister’s decision to dock a migrant ship from Africa in February 2020. Similar sentiments have been mirrored by governments and citizens across the world. This has triggered a rise in hate speech towards a group that is in dire need of help and acceptance.
The increasing availability of various vaccines generates questions around who they will be allocated to. There is a likelihood that immunisation in the Global South may be limited—at least to begin with. It seems likely that refugees will be some of the last in the queue to receive a vaccine.
Vaccine nationalism is a very real phenomenon. The recent US and Russian rejection of COVAX (the WHO program to distribute vaccines globally) shows this. Without sufficient international support for COVAX, less economically-developed countries will have to wait much longer to vaccinate populations broadly. The delay of immunisation relative to the Western populations will inevitably result in more deaths and heightened poverty in refugee populations. Even if displaced peoples are settled in a more developed host country, they are at risk of being forgotten. For instance, refugees have not once been mentioned in the UK vaccine rollout timeline. This isolationist mentality of powerful Western players intensifies the discrimination suffered by refugees.
CHANGES TO MIGRATION AS THE RESULT OF COVID-19
As well as governmental neglect, the ability of refugees to migrate and seek asylum is greatly inhibited by lockdown measures. Many countries have attempted to retain the spread of the virus by enacting travel restrictions. In fact, more than 90% of the world’s population resides in countries that have imposed border closures or travel restrictions.
Of the 160 countries that imposed border restrictions in June 2020, around 100 made no exception for those seeking asylum. People flee persecution for a multitude of causes which do not cease to exist and, in fact, are more likely to prevail during a pandemic. This has likely resulted in countless people being unable to seek the protection they are entitled to and need.
Governmental restrictions over the past year have highlighted the importance of looking beyond codified rights. Though displaced people are in theory protected by treaties and legislation, in practice they continue to be neglected, stigmatised, and vilified at a time when they need to be prioritised.
LOOKING FORWARD
The pandemic has increased the vulnerability of refugees. This is largely due to their increased risk of exposure to the virus combined with structural barriers to asylum and harmful social attitudes. Refugees have been further marginalised, and their quality of life will continue to decrease without fair treatment in the vaccine rollout.
Agencies and grassroot organisations continue to provide aid and support, but in the face of limited governmental action they have double the task. Pressure must be placed on politicians to actively engage in the WHO COVAX scheme and make it their priority to ensure that all countries—not just those with high incomes—are immunized. Additionally, we must use our voices to lobby politicians to acknowledge and act upon the increased vulnerability of refugees, namely by prioritising them in the vaccine rollout. This accountability is vital, now and always, to ensure that policy is shaped to actively protect the lives of refugees who are repeatedly ostracised.
April is a final year Anthropology undergraduate, studying at the University of Bristol. She enjoys writing on issues of social inequality, and shedding light on injustice.