EMN Inform #1: EU and OECD Member States responses to managing residence permits and migrant unemployment during the COVID-19 pandemic

The outbreak of COVID-19 and the measures taken to stem the spread of the virus are having impacts on the migration field. The European Migration Network has monitored how the pandemic is affecting migration in the EU and Norway, to provide information to policy makers. EMN and OECD are now collaborating with the European Commission (DG HOME) to address this most urgent agenda by a series of five publications of approximately 15 pages each on measures taken at national and EU level in response to COVID-19 and their impacts on migration. The informs aim to address the negative consequences of the pandemic. EMN and OECD will host a webinar for each inform publication.

The first inform “EU and OECD Member States responses to managing residence permits and migrant unemployment during the COVID-19 pandemic” has now been published and its key findings were presented in a webinar on the 30th of July 2020. The findings indicate that vulnerable communities including third-country nationals are being especially affected by the impacts of the pandemic. Many countries have introduced temporary measures with regard to the processing of applications for, and issuance and renewal of, residence permits to prevent legally staying migrants from falling into an irregular situation, and for those who have lost their jobs as a result of the pandemic.  The measures taken include, inter alia, extension of authorisation to stay to migrants who were unable to leave because of the pandemic, facilitated online applications, easing of employment restrictions, and facilitated access to unemployment benefits for migrants. The Inform also explores the consequences of travel bans and analyses the measures taken to mobilise the migrant health workforce.  

Future Informs will cover the COVID-19 impact on international students; maintaining key legal migration flows in times of pandemic; reduction or loss of remittances; and return issues. Their publication is foreseen from August to November 2020. Follow the EMN publications page for more information.

More information: https://ec.europa.eu/home-affairs/content/first-joint-emn-oecd-inform-published-covid-19-and-migration_en

Background

The Inform

  • Title: “Inform # 1 – EU and OECD Member States responses to managing residence permits and migrant unemployment during the COVID-19 pandemic
  • Period covered: March-June 2020
  • Subject: measures implemented due to the COVID-19 crisis in the fields of legal migration and unemployment in the EU and OECD countries

The European Migration Network (EMN)

The European Migration Network (EMN) is a Europe-wide network consisting of National Contact Points (NCPs) in the Member States and Norway, providing information on migration and asylum. The EMN was officially set up in 2008 by the European Commission on behalf of the European Council in order to satisfy the need for a regular exchange of reliable information on migration and asylum related issues on a European level.

EMN Twitter: https://twitter.com/EMNMigration

Contact

European Commission – EMN

Mr. Magnus Ovilius

Head of Agencies and Networks coordination and EMN Chair

Email: magnus.ovilius@ec.europa.eu

Csatolmányok
EMN Inform #1:EU and OECD MS responses to managing residence permits and migrant unemployment during the COVID-19 pandemic
Working Document to support the EMN Inform: EU and OECD MS responses to managing residence permits and migrant unemployment..