Migration and Covid-19 Resources

This global public health emergency brings into focus and may exacerbate, the barriers to healthcare these populations face. Many migrants & refugee populations live in conditions where physical distancing and recommended hygiene measures are particularly challenging.

The COVID-19 pandemic reveals the extent of marginalisation migrant & refugee populations face. We have developed a resource platform to encourage knowledge sharing across different regions globally and to highlight the need to include migrants and refugees in the COVID-19 response.

Lancet Migration Global Statement & Call to Action on COVID-19

Read our global statement ‘Leaving no one behind in the COVID-19 Pandemic: a call for urgent global action to include migrants in the COVID-19 response’

To join our Global Call to Action for urgent inclusion of migrants & refugees in the COVID-19 response enter your details below

Situational & Policy briefs

This series of situational and policy briefs summarises key practical and operational aspects of the COVID-19 response in relation to migrants and refugees.

They include public health and policy recommendations and perspectives that build on the Lancet Migration Global Statement recommendations to ensure migrants and refugees: have access to healthcare; are included in prevention, preparedness and response; and are part of responsible and transparent public information strategies, during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Each is intended to be a short brief, providing key information on particular migrant and refugee contexts and thematics, rather than a fully comprehensive country or regional overview. Situational and policy briefs have been authored by experts working in academia, operational, or clinical areas of migration and COVID-19, and are hosted on the Lancet Migration website. Situational and policy briefs represent the views of the authors.

They are up to date at the time of writing but will be updated by authors at intervals as feasible.

Resources & Guidance

International statements and guidance documents:
Statements from UNCHR, the IRC, and a joint statement from OHCHR, IOM, UNHCR and WHO  also call for the rights and health of migrants and refugees to be protected in the Covid-19 response.
Further statements supporting urgent action, can be accessed here:

​Operational guidance:

Webinar Series on COVID-19 & the health of migrants & refugees

July 15th 2020 – COVID-19 & the health of migrants, refugees and ethnic minorities:

  • A panel discussion exploring perspectives from academia, policy and practice
  • Organised as part of University College London, Institute for Risk and Disaster
  • Reduction, 10th Annual Conference. Video recording of the webinar to be uploaded shortly.

 5th August at 17:00 BST (11:00 GM-5) COVID-19 and Migration in Latin America

Speakers from different countries and organisations across the region offered perspectives from academia, policy and practice.

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