Protecting Migrants or Reversing Migration? COVID-19 and the risks of a protracted crisis in Latin America

Abstract

Central and South American countries have experienced an unprecedented flow of refugees and migrants with an estimated 5 million Venezuelan refugees and migrants and half a million from El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras fleeing to neighbouring countries since 2015 (1,2). Forced migration in these countries is associated with high levels of violence, ‘femicide’, political persecution, severe human rights violation and poverty (3). This situation raises important questions about crisis-stricken societies and calls upon governments in the region, as well as regional and multilateral organisations, to examine relevant policiesto protect refugees and migrants. This is even more pressing in the context of COVID-19. COVID19 is an era-defining challenge to inclusive global health governance. A government’s preparedness and response to health emergencies has the power to redress or reproduce vulnerabilities and inequalities.