Return Migration During Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) Outbreak in Special Region of Yogyakarta, Indonesia

Abstract

Population mobility during pandemic becomes the concern for government since COVID-19 has known spreading through droplets. Special Region of Yogyakarta is one of the provinces in Indonesia that is dealing with the problem of population mobility, especially in return migration during the pandemic. This study aims to give short analysis on the potency of return migration. This study is essential both for academic and practitioner in managing population mobility during pandemic. The analysis was supported by statistical data from Ministry of Health of the Republic of Indonesia, news, and related journals. This study confirms that return migration during the pandemic plays a role in causing new transmission centers. It means that migrants have a role in carrying the virus, in which the severity of its spread is determined by the interactions between infected migrants and local community and between infected local community and other local community. Lockdown in the local level such as villages is considerably more effective rather than massive travel bans in regional level. Local lockdown is considered to be more effective because it makes easy in controlling and also give little impact to the economic condition. Social capital and grassroot involvement is key to stop this pandemic.