![]() According to the Saudi Ministry of Health, 75 per cent of all newly confirmed cases as of were among migrants. Examples from Saudi Arabia and Singapore, where the Ministries of Health have provided official data on the migration status of individuals who tested positive, show the differential exposure to the virus of the migrant population. Low-skilled labour migrants in crowded dormitories have been disproportionately affected by the pandemic. For example, the United States of America and the United Kingdom - the most popular destination countries for international students - issued 69 per cent and 40 per cent fewer first permits to students in 2020 respectively compared to 2019 ( OECD, 2021). ![]() The number of first permits issued by OECD countries to international students dropped significantly in 2020 as a result of COVID-19. International students have also been affected by mobility restrictions in both origin and destination countries. In Australia, higher migration outflows than inflows in 2020/2021 have led to the lowest population growth in more than a century ( Australian Centre for Population, 2021). As of the end of 2020, the total number of foreign nationals in Germany had risen by 1.8 per cent, the lowest rate in the last decade ( German Federal Statistics Office, 2021b). For example, national data for 2020 suggest that the population of Germany did not grow for the first time in the last decade due to a decline in immigration (German Federal Statistics Office, 2021a). Such a drop in migration inflows due to COVID-related restrictions can also have demographic effects on countries dependent on migration for population growth. Among all categories of permanent migration to OECD countries, partially available data show that family migration experienced the largest decline in 2020 by more than 35 per cent ( ibid.). In 2020, permanent migration inflows to OECD countries are estimated to have fallen by more than 30 per cent and 2020 was a historical low for migration to OECD countries since 2003 ( OECD, 2021). At the same time, 208 countries, territories or areas have issued 961 exceptions to these restrictions, thus enabling mobility ( ibid.). Assuming zero-growth in the number of migrants between 1 March and 1 July 2020, estimates suggest a decrease of nearly 2 million international migrants compared to the initially expected increase between mid-2019 and mid-2020 ( UN DESA, 2020). Between 10 March 2020, a day before the WHO declared COVID-19 a pandemic, and 28 February 2022, 122,823 movement restrictions were implemented around the world ( IOM, 2021a). īack to top Key migration trends By theme Changes in flows and migrant stocksĬOVID-related restrictions have an impact on the mobility of migrants and the role of humanitarian organizations. For key trends by region on the impact of COVID-19, please see our regional data overviews. For information by country, please see here and below the map for key indicators on migration and demography. As information related to the COVID-19 pandemic is constantly evolving, figures and other data will be updated on a regular basis. This page discusses data on migrants that can inform how they are potentially both affected by the impact of COVID-19 and are part of the response to the pandemic. Compared to the global share of international migrants making up 3.6 per cent of the total population, international migrants are overrepresented in these countries. As of 8 March 2022, emigrants from the 20 countries with the highest number of COVID-19 cases accounted for 32 per cent of the total international migrant stock and they had sent an estimated 38 per cent of all remittances globally to their countries of origin in 2021 (GMDAC analysis based on UN DESA, 2020 World Bank 2021a WHO, 2022) 1. Immigrants accounted for at least 3.7 per cent of the population in 12 of the 20 countries with the highest number of COVID-19 cases, and this share is more than 8 per cent in 9 of these countries (GMDAC analysis based on UN DESA, 2020 WHO, 2022). Migrants – particularly in lower paid jobs and in irregular situations – may be both more affected by and vulnerable to the spread of COVID-19, but migrants also play an important role in the response to COVID-19 by working in critical sectors.
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