About 60% of the people who planned to emigrate in the countries of Central America and Mexico postponed or canceled those plans because of the coronavirus pandemic, reported this Friday the International Organization for Migration (OIM).
A new poll The IOM report also showed that more than 20% of migrants already in another country are considering returning to their place of origin as soon as their economic conditions or the health measures adopted by their countries allow it.
He 51% of migrants in Central America and Mexico lost their jobs due to the pandemic and currently only 20% of them are working, which suggests that around a third of all migrants in the region do not find any job during their stay in other countries.
Another finding was that 40% of migrants had their working hours or wages reduced and 48% responded that their income decreased due to COVID-19.
The survey was conducted in June between 1600 people with the aim of measuring and understanding the impact of the pandemic on migration plans.
Rafael Rodríguez / IOM
Migrant crossing Chiapas, Mexico, on the way to the United States. Image taken in 2018.
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Physical and mental health
The survey also examined the socioeconomic status, physical and mental health and risk factors faced by migrants from the region, finding that practically all participants comply with preventive health measures regarding the coronavirus.
Of the migrants surveyed, less than 10% believed they had COVID-19, although only a third had consulted a health service. In this line, the IOM called to guarantee the access of these people to health.
With regard to mental health, more than half of the participants stated fear of contagion and disruption from isolation, uncertainty, socioeconomic consequences, and concerns arising from the pandemic.
A persistent concern of migrants had to do with being cheated on or exploited when looking for job opportunities. Still, most said they would risk taking a job abroad even without proper information, demonstrating their high risk of becoming trafficked.
45% of the respondents were men, 54% were women, and the rest identified as “non-binary.” The age of the participants ranged from 26 to 45 years.
