COVID-19 and refugees

Select a language:  English  |  Français    |  Español 

The strength of our health systems, the resilience of our economies, our social and professional relationships, our ability to move around, our access to basic needs including food and shelter…

For people forced to flee violence or persecution, staying at home to isolate themselves from the virus is not an option. Yet access to asylum and other rights that would protect vulnerable refugees has been significantly curtailed as countries have responded to the disease.

As the virus spread across the world, more and more states implemented measures to contain its spread – including limiting movement between and within countries. By late May, the number of countries imposing border restrictions with no exceptions for those seeking asylum had peaked at 100.

Yet closed borders have reduced the ability to exercise that right. Refugees and asylum-seekers are now at even higher risk of detention, discrimination and  refoulement . Some are being sent back to face the very dangers they were trying to escape. 

Of course, states have the right to manage their territories and borders, and during a pandemic it is understandable they will take extra measures to limit the spread of the virus. But many countries have shown it is possible to maintain access to asylum and protection procedures despite such restrictions.

“Everyone has the right to seek and to enjoy in other countries asylum from persecution.” — Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Article 14 (1)

While restrictions on movement are part of states’ measures to combat the spread of the virus, this cannot be done at the expense of international human rights and refugee law. The risk of the wrongful return of refugees and asylum-seekers to dangerous situations is significantly higher where countries close their borders and refuse to make exceptions for asylum. Indeed, some people may be turned away without even getting the chance to lodge an asylum claim.

For a wide range of reasons, some refugees choose to return to their countries of origin. However, voluntary repatriation assisted by UNHCR and IOM has been typically outpaced by new displacement. In 2019, for example, 317,200 refugees were repatriated to their countries of origin – down from 593,800 in 2018 – a figure amounting to just over 1 per cent of the world’s total refugee population. Over the past decade, 3.9 million refugees have been able to return home – well down from the 9.6 million who did so between 2000 and 2009.

Restrictions on movement because of the pandemic caused voluntary repatriation to be put on hold, making avenues for refugees to safely return even more limited. Although some countries gradually restarted voluntary repatriation, widespread restrictions have remained in place.

Nonetheless, the coronavirus crisis is driving desperate people to attempt to go home unassisted because of loss of livelihoods, continued violence and an inability to adhere to government measures (such as social distancing or curfews) in crowded environments.

• Between 1 January and mid-July, almost 375,000 undocumented Afghans returned home from Iran, mostly spontaneous returnees or deportees. Much of the cross-border flow stems from the search for employment, but surveys taken at the border showed that a third of those returning blamed COVID-19 for loss of income and wages, discrimination and stignatization, and lack of access to medical services.

• Despite movement restrictions and border closures imposed by countries in the Sahel in a bid to limit the spread of COVID-19, ongoing violence and the challenging humanitarian situation continue to force people to flee, both within countries and across borders. In particular, thousands of Malian refugees have fled violence in Burkina Faso and Niger, mostly dispersing to other areas within those countries but with hundreds choosing to return to Mali.

• Tens of thousands of Venezuelan refugees and migrants have lost their jobs in Latin America as a result of COVID-19 quarantines – some have decided they have no choice but to return home.

• Thousands of El Salvadorans, Hondurans and Guatemalans in the US and Mexico are also returning to their home countries, often through deportations or expulsions.

• With access to asylum procedures further limited by COVID-19 and faced with difficulties in making a living, a growing number of Nicaraguans are seeking to return to their home country.

The uncoordinated or unexpected return of large numbers of refugees puts their health and safety at risk and is likely to further strain already overburdened health systems in their countries of origin.

If some countries had to reabsorb large numbers of people returning home, on one measure – the availability of hospital beds – their health care systems would be unable to cope with the sudden increase in demand. What’s more, even countries that appeared to have plenty of capacity were quickly overwhelmed by the number of coronavirus patients.

Resettlement to a third country is a long-term solution for refugees who are unable to return home and a vital means of ensuring their protection. Over the decades, many countries have shared the responsibility of protecting refugees identified by UNHCR to be in need of resettlement – a principle reinforced by the  Global Compact on Refugees .

But resettlement remains an option for only a very small portion of refugees globally. According to government statistics, in 2019 a total of 26 countries admitted 107,800 refugees for resettlement, including 63,726 refugees referred by UNHCR. 

For three months, from 17 March to 18 June, resettlement departures were put almost completely on hold. This move was in response to travel restrictions, the limited capacity of states and NGOs to provide appropriate reception and support to refugees upon arrival in resettlement countries, and public health measures stemming from the pandemic. According to UNHCR and IOM, while applications were still processed during this period, the pause delayed the departures of some 10,000 refugees to resettlement countries. As more countries begin to lift travel restrictions, more refugee departures can be anticipated – though the two agencies have called the gap between resettlement needs and places “worrisome”.

More than 1.4 million refugees currently residing in 62 host countries will be in need of resettlement next year, according to  UNHCR's Projected Global Resettlement Needs 2021  report.

In March 2020, Michelle Bachelet and Filippo Grandi, the UN High Commissioners for Human Rights and for Refugees respectively,  expressed concern over proliferation of racism and xenophobia related to the coronavirus , including harassment, hate speech, discriminatory stereotyping and conspiracy theories.

“Our response to this epidemic must encompass – and in fact, focus on – those whom society often neglects.” — Michelle Bachelet and Filippo Grandi

Inflammatory language increases the risk of refugees facing targeted restrictions on their movement that either deny them access to vital medical care and other services or subject them to verbal or physical abuse – or both. Refugees and asylum-seekers belonging to particular age groups or minorities, and those who have been evicted and are facing homelessness, are at further risk of stigmatization and marginalization.

If we all work together to defend the right to asylum, end discrimination against vulnerable populations and stop the stigmatization of refugees, we can help ensure that those forced to flee are less vulnerable to the virus and can contribute to fighting its spread.

Around the world, refugees are supporting the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic working as doctors, nurses and medical support staff. They are making soap, face masks and personal protective equipment. And they are raising awareness, communicating advice and supporting other vulnerable people.

UNHCR has been supporting their resilience throughout this pandemic by  staying and delivering  – responding with life-saving support as well as continuing to work to safeguard refugees’ fundamental rights.

This is part of a collection of stories focusing on the impact of COVID-19 on displaced and stateless people under UNHCR’s mandate. The next story focuses on the pandemic’s impact on  access to basic services, including health care . Meanwhile, stay on top of the latest information through our COVID-19 data portal.