Cairo - The International Organization for Migration (IOM) and the League of Arab States (LAS), in coordination with the Regional COVID-19 Task Force on Migration and Mobility, have organized a webinar today which discussed responses in the Arab Region to the COVID-19 pandemic, the vaccine rollout programs and the inclusion of migrants, refugees and people on the move.

With a focus on the efforts of governments, the webinar aimed at highlighting the best practices undertaken by governments in the Arab region to include vulnerable groups such as migrants, refugees and people on the move in their responses to COVID-19. This particularly comes within the context of the ongoing vaccination rollouts. The webinar also served as a platform for governments to exchange experiences, key achievements and to work collectively on migration governance through a whole-of-government approach.

“We deeply appreciate the efforts made by the Member States to provide medical care services to migrants and refugees alongside with their citizens, and to include them among primary care groups, and confirming the importance of continuing to integrate them into the national plans developed to counter the Corona virus to ensure their access to vaccinations,” Said H.E Ambassador Dr. Haifa Abu Ghazaleh, Assistant Secretary General - Head of Social Sector, League of Arab States.

“The success of national vaccination campaigns is strongly correlated to their degree of inclusiveness,” said Mrs. Carmela Godeau, IOM Regional Director for MENA region. “We emphasize the importance of reforming all barriers, in particular administrative and policy obstacles, that impede migrants, including those in irregular situation, to have access to vaccination and more broadly to healthcare.”

The webinar brought together government representatives from the Arab region, and other stakeholders, including civil society organizations, academics, regional and international organizations.

An outcome document from this webinar including a summary of key findings, challenges and recommendations will serve to inform the International Migration Review Forum (IMRF) scheduled for 2022.

In 2020, the Arab region has become the host of 41.4 million migrants and refugees, and the number of migrants from Arab countries have reached 32.8 million persons, half of whom remained within the region. Further, 3.7 million refugees registered with UNHCR resided in Arab countries.

Many migrants, refugees and people on the move are at increased risk of becoming infected with COVID-19 as they continue to work at the frontline of the pandemic, largely contributing to the continuity of essential businesses, such as health care, food and other life-line sectors.

Many promising practices have emerged throughout the region, with governments providing free COVID-19 related services including treatment, care and vaccination regardless of migrants’ legal status as well as launching targeted public health and awareness campaigns. This has been coupled with granting amnesty periods and improving flexibility on migration requirements to ensure migrants have regular status and formal employment.

The Regional COVID-19 Task Force on Migration and Mobility was established by IOM, the Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA), the World Health Organization (WHO), and the International Labor Organization (ILO) as well as 13 UN agencies, under the umbrella of the Issue Based Coalition on Migration in the Arab Region co-convened by LAS, IOM, ESCWA and ILO.

For inquiries please contact:

• Regional Office for the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), International Organization for Migration, Mr. Tamim Elyan, Email: telyan@iom.int
• League of Arab States (LAS), Refugees, Expatriates and Migration Affairs Department, Email: aemigrant.dept@las.int