Policies on marginalized migrant communities during Covid-19: migration management prioritized over population health

Abstract

Migration management policies in many states have marginalized significant numbers of individuals on the basis of their precarious residency status, negatively impacting their health. This article looks at how three European states with high levels of contagion–France, Sweden, and the United Kingdom–adapted their migration management policies to the changed circumstances during the Covid 19 pandemic in which there was new pressure for prioritizing population health over other concerns. The analysis compares globally-recognized ‘best practices’ for migrant health during the pandemic with policies adopted by France, Sweden, and the UK–selected as prominent migrant-hosting states and that experienced high rates of Covid-19. The article draws on supplementary evidence through interviews with civil society organizations working directly with migrants living on the margins of society–what are termed here ‘marginalized migrants’ (MMs). As the article concludes, the national policies often fell below international ‘best practices’ such that migration management was often prioritized over population health despite the crisis. The perspective developed in this paper is important for understanding where migration control policies have been prioritized over public health.