Migrant communities and the COVID-19 response in sub-Saharan Africa

Molobe, Ikenna Daniel; Odukoya, Oluwakemi Ololade; Isikekpei, Brenda; Marsiglia, Flavio F.

doi:10.11604/pamj.supp.2020.35.2.22863

Cited by 6 publications

(15 citation statements)

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“…Finally, while boarder closures or restrictions may be justified as a measure to curb the spread of COVID-19, there are no exceptions in law or in practice to safeguard the basic rights of asylum seekers (Briskman, 2020). This creates the serious risk of violation of the rights of migrants, asylum seekers and refugees (Molobe et al , 2020).…”

Section: Findings and Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…However, asylum seekers in South Africa face uncertain times amidst the COVID-19 crisis as most have to contend not only with the loss of their livelihoods but an ever-increasing bureaucratic brick wall. Many are discriminated against, which sometimes results in xenophobic violence (Molobe et al , 2020). The pandemic has further limited migrants’ access to public services.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In other instances, challenges such as documentation, finance, qualifications and language limit the ease with which public services can be accessed (Robeyns, 2017). Molobe et al (2020) explained that asylum seekers' inability to access public services and other essential resources limits the extent to which they can settle and be integrated into society in their host country. This precipitates xenophobic tendencies, resulting in violence between migrant communities and their local host communities, especially where there is competition for economic and social resources (Bukuluki et al, 2020).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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COVID-19, migration and inclusive cities through e-governance: strategies to manage asylum seekers in Durban, South Africa

Kariuki

Goyayi²,

Ofusori

2021

DPRG

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Purpose This paper aims to examine the role of electronic governance (e-governance) in enabling asylum seekers’ access to public services in the city of Durban, South Africa. Because of COVID-19, the government scaled down its operations, limiting access to public services, including among migrants. Design/methodology/approach Because of COVID-19-related restrictions, a systematic review was conducted of the relevant academic literature as well as the information portals of relevant government departments, municipalities and research reports on migration and refugees in South Africa. A total of 320 peer-reviewed research articles were identified. These were filtered and 68 relevant articles were selected. Findings The study found that asylum seekers have limited access to public services via information communication technology-enabled mechanisms. Whilst the city government has embraced e-governance, it is still in its nascent stages. Research limitations/implications This study was limited to a desktop one because of COVID-19 restrictions and it focused exclusively on asylum seekers. Therefore, its findings can only be generalised to this category of people. Practical implications Future studies on this subject should gather data from all categories of migrants to gain in-depth perspectives. Social implications All spheres of governance in South Africa should recognise asylum seekers as a constituency that deserves access to public services. E-governance can facilitate easier access to these services, and policies need to be aligned with this reality. Originality/value This study examined the efficacy of e-governance in enabling access to government services by asylum seekers during COVID-19. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, no other study on this subject was conducted during this period.

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Section: Findings and Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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COVID-19, migration and inclusive cities through e-governance: strategies to manage asylum seekers in Durban, South Africa

Kariuki

Goyayi²,

Ofusori

2021

DPRG

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“…In light of these observations, we have sought to analyze the situation of IDPs located in Kongoussi, in Burkina Faso’s Central-Northern region ( Fig. 1 ), who, in addition to their pre-existing vulnerabilities in their own country, are likely to be affected by COVID-19, just like the rest of the population ( Molobe et al, 2020 ). The aim of this paper is to determine the extent to which IDPs have been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.…”

Section: The Covid-19 Pandemicmentioning

confidence: 99%

The impact of COVID-19 on the living and survival conditions of internally displaced persons in Burkina Faso

Ozer

Dembélé

Yameogo³

et al. 2022

World Development Perspectives

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In recent years, as in other parts of the Sahel, the threat of terrorism has escalated in Burkina Faso. In 2019, this country hosted the fourth highest number of new conflict-related internal displaced persons (IDPs) in the world. These people have to cope simultaneously with the full spectrum of environmental, social and health-related stresses in the long, medium and short term, respectively. We seek to compare the living conditions of IDPs before and during the lockdown implemented by the authorities (between 27 March and 5 May 2020) to contain the spread of the virus. Interviews were conducted with 106 IDPs in Kongoussi (Central-Northern region). Although no respondent reported having been directly affected by the virus, 84.9% of the IDPs surveyed had no income-generating activities during the lockdown and the remaining 15.1% who continued to work reported that their activities had been greatly scaled-down. For a large majority of them, their living conditions, already described as difficult under ‘normal’ circumstances (insufficient food, insignificant financial assistance, or difficult access to health care), further deteriorated. In addition, IDPs were unable to leave the camps or regions where they were located to search for better living conditions or to return home. Lastly, 96.2% of respondents believed that the COVID-19 pandemic would have a negative impact on their future. These IDPs, like many in the sub-region and around the world, therefore require urgent assistance from the authorities and humanitarian NGOs, as the slightest new stress is likely to considerably worsen their already vulnerable state.

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“…There are many allusions to the role of this experience in the management of the COVID-19 outbreak response. 12 …”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Responding to a Pandemic Through Social and Behavior Change Communication: Nigeria's Experience

et al. 2021

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Migrant communities and the COVID-19 response in sub-Saharan Africa

Cited by 6 publications

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COVID-19, migration and inclusive cities through e-governance: strategies to manage asylum seekers in Durban, South Africa

COVID-19, migration and inclusive cities through e-governance: strategies to manage asylum seekers in Durban, South Africa

The impact of COVID-19 on the living and survival conditions of internally displaced persons in Burkina Faso

Responding to a Pandemic Through Social and Behavior Change Communication: Nigeria's Experience

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