May 6, 2020

Dear John,

The COVID-19 virus has reshaped countless facets of our daily lives. In the realm of international human mobility, its effects have been profound in countries around the world, with resulting travel bans, border closures, limits on asylum, and a temporary pause on refugee resettlement, among other responses. Some of these policy changes are likely to be short term, while others could leave a permanent mark.

As governments have raced to implement policies limiting movement and responding to the economic fallout from stay-at-home orders and suspension of nonessential activities, the Migration Policy Institute (MPI) has been assessing the effects of those policies and how they intersect with immigration and immigrants, the role of immigrant workers in frontline sectors such as agriculture and health care, and what immigration systems might—and should—look like post-pandemic.

All of our resources—from research and commentaries to infographics, webcasts, and articles—are collected here: www.migrationpolicy.org/topics/coronavirus.

Each week, we’ll offer a brief newsletter showcasing some of our most recent work in this area. We invite you to sign up for updates on our COVID-19 work, and to share with your networks.

Wishing you safety and good health,

Andrew Selee, PhD
President
Migration Policy Institute

Article

Under Lockdown Amid COVID-19 Pandemic, Europe Feels the Pinch from Slowed Intra-EU Labor Mobility

Border closures and lockdowns amid the COVID-19 pandemic have put a chill on intra-EU labour mobility, most immediately with the difficulty for European farmers to gain access to much-needed seasonal workers and for health-care institutions to get care workers. This article explores how these workers, who often face difficult situations, may be more vulnerable now. It also takes on implications for intra-EU labour mobility post-pandemic.

Read more

Infographic

An Untapped Pool of Critical U.S. Health-Care Workers in a Time of Pandemic

As the U.S. health-care system sags under the strain of COVID-19, health-care workers are not only on the frontlines fighting the virus, they are also some of the most at-risk individuals, making it more essential than ever to have sufficient numbers of qualified health professionals. While 1.5 million immigrants and refugees are already working in the U.S. health-care system, MPI estimates an additional 263,000 immigrants and refugees in the U.S. with health-related college degrees are working in low-skilled jobs or are out of work.

The Migration Policy Institute is an independent, non-partisan, non-profit think tank in Washington, D.C. dedicated to analysis of the movement of people worldwide. MPI provides analysis, development and evaluation of migration and refugee policies at the local, national and international levels. For more on MPI, please visit www.migrationpolicy.org.