Covid-19: how do we protect the most vulnerable refugees?

The coronavirus health crisis is having a major impact as countries look to implement measures to protect public health. Many vulnerable populations, including some of the 70 million refugees and displaced people across the world, are particularly at risk, as they face overcrowded conditions, job losses worsening already dire levels of poverty and major challenges accessing healthcare and clean water. The coronavirus has already had a powerful impact on migration flows, as States look to close borders and implement alternative reception policies.

How can we ensure that we continue to offer safety protection to people fleeing war, violence and persecution while at the same time protecting the health of the wider public? Is it possible to ensure basic human rights are guaranteed without jeopardising people’s safety and welfare, and if so, how?

Who should act and who can? And what will be impact of the crisis on refugees and migration flows in the medium and long term? 

These are the questions we will try to answer with our expert speakers, with a particular focus on the situation on the Mediterranean Sea.