As instances of hate speech, stigma, discrimination and xenophobia continue to rise as a result of COVID-19, the United Nations and its partners are working to ensure that solidarity prevails during the pandemic. Migrants and refugees are among those who have falsely been blamed and vilified for spreading the virus.
When 14,000 Mozambican migrants returned home from South Africa, concerns grew that cross-border movements could potentially spread COVID-19 in their home country.
To tackle this head-on, community health workers at the International Organization for Migration (IOM) immediately started making phone calls to returned migrants, checking in on their wellbeing and that of their family members.
“I was surprised when I got the call from an IOM community health worker, wanting to know if I'm okay,” said returned mine worker Laissane Tivane from Mozambique’s Inhambane province. “They explained the symptoms of COVID-19, prevention measures and told me to stay home until completing the mandatory 14-days quarantine and to call in case of any symptoms. I am grateful for the attention to our health and families.”
Among the 850 migrants phone-screened over the course of 4 weeks, none reported COVID-19 symptoms, IOM said.
According to IOM, stigmatization of certain groups during crisis situations is not new. From terrorism to disease outbreaks, migrants have often been scapegoated for endangering native populations. “Diseases have at times been perceived as ‘foreign’,” IOM said, as was the case with cholera in the 1830s, HIV/AIDS in the 1980s or, more recently, with H1N1 influenza.
IOM staff in Niamey on 2 May welcome over 1,400 Nigerian returnees from Burkina Faso who are now going through their mandatory COVID-19 quarantine.
COVID-19 is no exception, as people of Asian and European descent - and migrants more generally - have been stigmatized for spreading the coronavirus. Anti-Semitic conspiracy theories have spread, and COVID-19-related anti-Muslim attacks have occurred. Many have endured verbal and physical assaults, and at times, institutional exclusion from the receiving society.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), stigma can drive people to hide their illness to avoid discrimination, preventing them from seeking immediate health care.
In the longer term, stigmatization and discrimination can negatively impact the ability of migrants to integrate into society. This not only undermines their wellbeing, but more broadly, that of receiving communities which benefit from their diverse contributions to social cohesion.
To tackle this aspect of the crisis, IOM has issued a toolkit for strengthening the design, delivery and evaluation of migration communications campaigns, placing strong emphasis on participatory approaches that increase interaction and involve audiences throughout the campaign cycle.
It aims to ensure that rapid, accurate and balanced information reaches those most in need. “We are seeing an alarming increase in anti-migrant rhetoric, in particular the scapegoating of migrants and others in the public domain and online,” said IOM Director General António Vitorino. “The toolkit provides clear, proven approaches to address and reduce the impact of misinformation.”
IOM staff stand ready to supervise COVID-19 preventive measures at a point of control in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo. Photo: IOM
Complementing these efforts, the United Nations itself has issued guidance to address COVID-19 related hate speech, offering recommendations to UN entities, Member States, technology companies, media and civil society.
“We must act now to strengthen the immunity of our societies against the virus of hate,” United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres said in his recent message, appealing for an all-out effort to end hate speech globally.
News Resource: UN News
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