The International Labour Organization (ILO) estimates that millions of migrant workers, already in a precarious situation, could be forced to return home, mainly in Africa and Asia. With the relaxation of confinement measures, these workers now face unemployment and poverty as a result of the pandemic. The only solution, therefore, is to return to their country of origin, where reintegration promises to be difficult in a context of widespread crisis.
The ILO estimates that 4.7% of the global workforce is made up of migrant workers, i.e. 164 million people.
The International Labour Organization is calling for measures to protect migrant workers currently stranded abroad, as they are among those most affected by the pandemic. Because of the period of confinement in force in several countries, many of them lost their jobs overnight, and the travel ban made travel impossible. But with the gradual return to normal life, the ILO expects millions of migrant workers to return home, even though they often have no money left. One million migrant workers have already returned to South Asia. This figure includes 500,000 Nepalese returning from India and 250,000 Bengalis who left the Middle East, 130,000 Indonesians, 100,000 Burmese and 50,000 Filipinos, mostly seafarers. In Kuwait, more than 90,000 people have left the country since April. Ethiopia is expecting between 200,000 and 500,000 people to return by the end of the year.
Essential workers excluded from COVID-19 response strategies
In many parts of the world, the activities of migrant workers are concentrated in "essential" sectors such as health, transport, services, domestic work and agriculture. Despite this, there is evidence that they are often excluded from national responses to COVID-19, such as wage subsidies, unemployment benefits or social protection measures. This situation makes them particularly vulnerable, both financially and in terms of health. The reduction in migrant workers' income and the loss of their jobs will have a global impact. According to the World Bank, this will lead to a fall in remittances of around 20% by 2020.
If the right measures are taken, the return of workers to their country of origin can contribute to local economic recovery.
ILO studies show that the skills of newly-returned migrant workers can be an advantage for their countries of origin, and can even help rebuild economies often weakened by the coronavirus crisis. For this reason, countries are urged to adopt measures to give them access to social protection and to recognize their assets, thus facilitating their integration into the national job market. The international organization fears that any mass return of migrants over a short period of time could have serious social and economic consequences.