"Migrant workers must be included in Myanmar's COVID-19 response", 29 March 2020

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A great majority of Myanmar's migrant workers lack a safety net to cope with the economic and health effects of COVID-19. [...] When Thai authorities invoked a "lock-down"...most of these migrant workers faced the very real danger of running out of money amid the tight quarantine procedures. [...]

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Besides the poor health infrastructure at Myanmar's border entry points, the close contact of migrants with others may accelerate community transmission. [...]

At this point, community-based measures are urgently needed across the country to mitigate further importation of the virus and to reduce community transmission. Extensive preparation and engagement across sectors are paramount, and secondary consequences must be anticipated, such as financial effects, interruptions in social support, and reduction of public services. Comprehensive planning should be undertaken with sound risk assessments.

In some cases, communities are already taking their own drastic actions, often in negative ways, to stigmatise the returnees. The government should roll out risk communication and community engagement plans throughout the country to manage the crisis and mainstream the aspects of migration in their public health measures.

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While migrant workers are often left out of pandemic preparedness planning, this time amid the gravity of COVID-19's economic and social effects, they must be included, both for humanitarian reasons and the practical reason of social distancing upon their return. More importantly, their economic well-being and their contributions to the economy must be considered for such planning. [...]