Objective 15: Provide access to basic services for migrants

Los Angeles, US established a direct cash assistance programme for residents who fall below the poverty line, including undocumented immigrants and informal sector workers. Eligible families received no fee prepaid debit cards of $700-$1,500 based on their income and household size. The Mayor’s office and the non-profit Mayor’s Fund for Los Angeles raised $25M from the private sector, philanthropies, and individuals for the programme to distribute directly to residents to meet their basic needs.

In Italy, the System for the Protection of Refugees and Unaccompanied Minors (SIPROMI) is a publicly funded network of local authorities and NGOs, which accommodates unaccompanied children and provides them access to the Italian social protection system, including legal support, legal guardianship, access to health, including psychological counselling, access to Italian language classes and to mainstream education programmes. In some contexts, opportunities for vocational training and job opportunities through partnerships with social cooperatives and the private sector.

New York City, US launched a municipal program in 2019 to expand universal health care so that regardless of insurance, ability to pay, or immigration status all residents can seek services without fear of discrimination. Having established this program prior to COVID-19 was critical to the city’s ability to respond rapidly and inclusively when the pandemic hit

The COVID-19 pandemic represented a major public health challenge and had serious economic and social impacts on origin, transit and destination countries, as well as on migrant workers and their families and on businesses and their operations. This informative note presents policy options in order to ensure comprehensive social protection for migrant workers in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond.

Spain offers universal access to basic health services. Beyond the most favourable scheme enjoyed by EU nationals covered by EU common legislation, all migrants staying in Spain, irrespective of legal status, have access to the basic national health system. This measure has proved its utility during the pandemic.

This policy brief provides information and identifies a number of key recommendations to assist governments and other stakeholders in designing COVID-19 policy responses that can help to ensure the protection of migrant workers, as well as to inform responses for the protection of refugees and those displaced working in countries other than their own, differentiated by gender as appropriate and based upon relevant international labour standards, and ILO guidance and good practices.

In countries of origin, innovative ways of transnational engagement proved to be efficient to face the health crisis, In Somalia, for instance, health professionals from the diaspora have provided technical support to hospitals in their communities of origin. This new project unveiled by the IOM  in Somalia is part of a continuing effort to address this health care delivery shortage. It uses video cameras, screens, personal computers and digital mobile devices such as tablets to enhance diagnosis and treatment of patients.

The City of Milan adopted a two-pronged approach to tackle the needs of their residents resulting from the health, economic, and social impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. They worked to ensure equal access to services for all, including migrants and refugees, while also providing complementary services to address the needs of particular communities.

The city of Milan partnered with a non-profit agency, EMERGENCY to provide COVID-19 health monitoring in shelters for homeless people and unaccompanied migrant youth. 

The Municipality of Lampedusa and Linosa in Italy provided Quarantine Ships for the migrants arriving in Lampedusa during the pandemic and activated a COVID-19 area in the reception center to ensure access to testing and health services to migrants upon arrival.

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) designed a set of prevention practices including: