The Coronavirus Pandemic and Immigrant Communities: A Crisis That Demands More of the Social Work Profession

Abstract

As the coronavirus pandemic has taken over matters of life and death globally, immigrant communities were some of the most deeply impacted. In the United States (U.S.), Latinx immigrants and other minorities have experienced greater economic burden and worse health outcomes, resulting in alarming rates of death from COVID-19. Yet the government’s relief measures to support individuals did not extend to millions of immigrants. This left many immigrants with the cruel choice to either stay home to protect themselves and their loved ones from the virus or go to work to support their families. Disregard for a large segment of the population is further complemented by strict immigration policies, harsher border restrictions, and public health guidelines that failed to account for the realities faced by immigrants. In this brief, we highlight the unequal toll of the COVID-19 pandemic on immigrants and consider social work response. We argue that the pandemic demands more of the social work profession, as the coronavirus crisis exposed more clearly the systemic inequalities toward immigrants and aggravates their vulnerabilities. Insofar as systems are unequal and racist in the context of coronavirus, there is a great need for social work response that is innovative, brave, and deeply connected to communities.

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

“…Migrants may also be experiencing discrimination as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic ( Guadagno, 2020 , Patel et al, 2020 , Centre for British-Turkish Understanding 2020 ). In particular, Chinese and other Asian migrants have been targeted due to the original emergence of the pandemic in China, with reports of bullying, awkward behaviour, avoidance of Chinese restaurants and shops, and physical attacks ( Bofulin, 2020 , Cross and Benson, 2020 , Aydemir and Akyol, 2020 ). In surveys and interviews with people of Chinese origin living in France, nearly a third reported having experienced at least one discriminatory act since January 2020 ( Wang et al, 2020 ).…”

“…Conditions in detention or reception facilities are similarly conducive to the spread of COVID-19, with confined and poorly ventilated spaces ( Doctors of the World 2020 , Cross and Benson, 2020 , Logar and Leese, 2020 , Meyer et al, 2020 , Irvine et al, 2020 , Schotland, 2020 , Mosca et al, 2020 ). In the US, there have been concerns that ICE facilities have violated their own standards as well as those from the Center for Disease Prevention and Control (CDC), for failing to test sick detainees ( Openshaw and Travassos, 2020 , Lenzer, 2020 ).…”

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

“…Conditions in detention or reception facilities are similarly conducive to the spread of COVID-19, with confined and poorly ventilated spaces (50, 83, 144–148). In the US, there have been concerns that ICE facilities have violated their own standards as well as those from the Center for Disease Prevention and Control (CDC), for failing to test sick detainees (27, 149).…”

“…Migrants are disproportionately represented in front-line public-facing jobs, such as in the fields of healthcare, social work, hospitality, retail, delivery and household services, and in menial jobs that can place them at increased exposure of COVID-19 (8, 83, 154, 157–160). On average, 13% of all key workers in the EU are immigrants (9).…”

COVID‐19 and social work practice for older adults in China

“…The existing literature underscores the importance of online services in meeting service needs of vulnerable groups (Chui & Ko, 2020; Cross & Benson, 2020; Dauti et al, 2020; Omorogiuwa, 2020; She et al, 2020; Wu & Karabanow, 2020). Social workers can provide knowledge dissemination, psychological counseling, assistance, and relief, and end‐of‐life services for the elderly in public health emergencies (Sun, 2020).…”