The UN听Secretary-General听has听expressed hope听that the COVID-19 crisis will lead to a rethinking of how the world supports refugees, migrants and internally displaced people.
Ant贸nio Guterres on Wednesday launched the latest UN policy briefing on the pandemic, which reminds countries of their obligation to protect people on the move, who number more than 70 million globally, according to data from the UN refugee agency,听.
continues to devastate the lives of the most vulnerable - including refugees & internally displaced people.
Here are ways we can reduce the impact of the virus among people on the move & recover better for the benefit of all:鈥� Ant贸nio Guterres (@antonioguterres)
鈥淣o country can fight the pandemic or manage migration alone. But together, we can contain the spread of the virus, buffer its impact on the most vulnerable and recover better for the benefit of all鈥�, he said in a video message accompanying the launch.
Three crises in one
While the pandemic continues to shatter lives and livelihoods across the globe, it is the most vulnerable who are being hit the hardest.
This population includes refugees, internally displaced people and migrants in precarious situations, who are facing three crises rolled into one, according to the Secretary-General.
COVID-19听is at first a health crisis, and people on the move can be exposed to the virus in crowded conditions where health care, water and sanitation are often hard to find, and physical distancing is 鈥渁n impossible luxury鈥�.
They are also confronting a socio-economic crisis, especially those working in the informal sector who have no access to protection schemes.
鈥淚n addition, the loss of income from COVID-19 is likely to lead to a colossal $109 billion drop in remittances鈥�, said Mr. Guterres.
鈥淭hat鈥檚 the equivalent of nearly three-quarters of all official development assistance that is no longer being sent back home to the 800 million people who depend on it.鈥�
The final crisis surrounds protection, with more than 150 countries imposing border restrictions to contain the spread of the virus. The majority make no exceptions for people seeking asylum.
鈥淎t the same time, fear of COVID-19 has led to skyrocketing xenophobia, racism and stigmatization鈥�, he added.
鈥淎nd the already precarious situation of women and girls is ever more dire, as they face higher risks of exposure to gender-based violence, abuse and exploitation.鈥�
Inclusivity, dignity, safety
For the UN Secretary-General, the pandemic provides an opportunity to 鈥渞eimagine human mobility鈥�.
However, that will mean taking four key understandings into consideration, starting with acknowledging that exclusion is expensive.
鈥淎n inclusive public health and socio-economic response will help suppress the virus, restart our economies and advance the听Sustainable Development Goals鈥�, Mr. Guterres explained.
The UN chief also called for upholding human dignity in the face of the crisis, suggesting that lessons can be learned from those countries which have implemented travel restrictions and border controls while fully respecting international principles on refugee protection.
He also repeated a core message of the crisis: no one is safe until everyone is safe, a that medicines to diagnose and treat COVID-19 must be accessible to all people.
Finally, he underlined that 鈥減eople on the move鈥� are part of the solution, and called for countries to explore pathways that would regularize migration and reduce remittance transaction costs.
鈥淲e all have a vested interest to ensure that the responsibility of protecting the world鈥檚 refugees is equitably shared and that human mobility remains safe, inclusive, and respects international human rights and refugee law鈥�, said Mr. Guterres.
