国际英语新闻:World Insights: Humanitarian body says migrants hit "invisible wall" in basic COVID-19 car

GENEVA, March 9 (Xinhua) -- A global humanitarian organization warned that an "invisible wall" has blocked migrants from access to basic services since the COVID-19 pandemic started and is preventing them from accessing vaccines.

While lockdowns and other measures were designed to control the spread of the coronavirus, they also inadvertently increased suffering among migrants, said the Geneva-based International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) in a new report on Tuesday.

Because of the restrictions, many migrants have lost their jobs and livelihoods, and were subsequently unable to meet their most basic needs, leading to worrying levels of food insecurity and homelessness due to their inability to pay rent and worsening mental health conditions, it said.

"Our research reveals what we are calling an 'invisible wall' that has blocked migrants, particularly those undocumented or in an irregular situation, from accessing basic services," IFRC Secretary General Jagan Chapagain said in a press release.

"Interestingly, this wall isn't built mainly of policies designed to exclude migrants," he added. "Instead, it is made up of inadvertent exclusions, as well as the unintended consequences of efforts to contain and control the pandemic."

The report, titled "Locked down and left out? Why access to basic services for migrants is critical to our COVID-19 response and recovery," draws on the research carried out by the Red Cross Red Crescent Global Migration Lab.

Founded in 1919, the IFRC carries out relief operations to assist victims of disasters, and combines this with development work to strengthen the capacities of its member organizations.

The research also found that even when migrants had been included in COVID-19 policies, their actual ability to access basic services was often constrained.

Migrants, it said, were often hesitant to consult a doctor, seek treatment, or register for a vaccine dose for the fear of disclosing private information, which may be shared with immigration authorities to arrest, detain or deport them.

"The fact that, in some countries, migrants need to register online to get COVID-vaccinations also contributes to exclusion, due to some migrants' limited internet access or digital literacy and language barriers," the report wrote.

In 2020, the number of people living outside their country of origin was estimated at 281 million, largely due to labour or family migration, and also due to humanitarian crises, the IFRC said.

While migrants account for just 3.5 percent of global population, they contribute to approximately 9 percent of global gross domestic product, according to the McKinsey Global Institute.

The IFRC stressed that ensuring all migrants are included in COVID-19 vaccination policies and rollout strategies is key to ending the pandemic.

The report called for governments and stakeholders to guarantee all migrants are included in local and national COVID-19 responses that guarantee access to basic services, including healthcare, housing, food, water, sanitation and hygiene services.

It also urged the inclusion of migrants in testing, treatment and vaccination policies and rollout strategies, as well as their equal access to testing, treatment and vaccines.

"Migrants are also at risk of heightened stigma and discrimination and being left behind in the rollout of COVID-19 vaccines, generating individual and public health concerns," it said.