Refugees, asylum seekers and COVID-19: Canada needs to do more to protect at-risk refugees during the current pandemic

The Capability ‘To Be Secure’: Media Coverage of African Asylum Seekers During Covid-19 in Israel

“…As such, it stands to reason that asylum seekers would be one of the hardest hit groups in society as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic. This claim has been substantiated in preliminary studies conducted around the world ( Bhopal 2020 ; Jozaghi and Dahya 2020 ; Lanzarone et al 2020 ).…”

“…Asylum seekers are one of the most weakened groups in society and could therefore be more influenced by the media’s failure to protect them. This notion could be heightened during times of crisis such as the Covid-19 pandemic as it affects the different groups in society unequally, with the weakest groups hit hardest ( Bhopal 2020 ; Jozaghi and Dahya 2020 ; Kochhar 2020 ; Lanzarone et al 2020 ).…”

“…Asylum seekers in general, and specifically African asylum seekers in Israel, comprise one of the most weakened groups in society ( Kalir 2015 ). Thus, the Covid-19 pandemic which threatens all of society, especially endangers the weaker parts of society, and prominent among them, the asylum seekers ( Bhopal 2020 ; Jozaghi and Dahya 2020 ; Lanzarone et al 2020 ).…”

Clinical outcomes and risk factors for COVID-19 among migrant populations in high-income countries: A systematic review

“…In Lisbon, it has been observed that some of the neighbourhoods with increased transmission coincide with areas where TB incidence has been higher ( Dias et al, 2020 ), with over half of patients with TB and COVID-19 in two early case series being migrants ( Tadolini et al, 2020 , Motta et al, 2020 ). Migrants in camp settings may be especially vulnerable due to existing illnesses or injuries and prevailing malnutrition and/or poor health in general ( Iacobucci, 2020 , Hargreaves et al, 2020 , Jozaghi and Dahya, 2020 , ACAPS 2020 ).…”

“…Refugee camps are typically crowded, and are often built quickly and with little regard to such things as tent spacing. In these settings, where social distancing and personal hygiene is difficult, the spread of COVID-19 is facilitated ( Greenaway et al, 2020 , Iacobucci, 2020 , Hargreaves et al, 2020 , Jozaghi and Dahya, 2020 , ACAPS 2020 , Vonen et al, 2020 , Hargreaves et al, 2020 , Alawa et al, 2020 , Peprah, 2020 , Spernovasilis et al, 2020 , Kondilis et al, 2020 , The Lancet 2020 , Gilman et al, 2020 , Alemi et al, 2020 , Carruthers et al, 2020 , Carruthers et al, 2020 , Commentary, 2020 ). For example, the Moria camp in Greece had an estimated population density of 133,000 per km 2 , with reports of one water tap shared between 1,300 people in some areas of the camp ( ACAPS 2020 ).…”