COVID-19 and measures taken to control the spread of the virus have had a significant effect on migrants everywhere, but the impact on migrants in Asia and the Pacific has been particularly dramatic.  This webinar provided an overview of research commissioned by USAID to examine the impact of COVID-19 on migrant resilience in the region.

The effects of COVID-19 are not just an issue of immediate humanitarian concern to governments and other stakeholders in the region.  They raise fundamental questions about migrant resilience to recover from the immediate shock of COVID-19 but also about migrant resilience to face future shocks.

The webinar began with opening remarks from Micaela Arthur, Special Populations Advisor, USAID/Asia Bureau and an overview by research Team Lead, Elizabeth Ferris, on the impacts of COVID-19 on migration through various lenses, including impacts on economies, governance, health, the environment and gender.  The webinar then dove deeper into the pandemic’s effects on migrant resilience, focusing on the following subregions:

• South Asia – Ellen Boccuzzi
• Central Asia – Jenna Holliday
• Maritime Southeast Asia – Renzo Guinto
• Mainland Southeast Asia/ The Pacific – Phil Hirsch

The live webinar took place on Zoom with sixty six participants and was presented by Integra Government Services International LLC, through USAID’s Asia Emerging Opportunities (AEO) Mechanism.

More specific information about the webinar content will be posted soon.

While the team is grateful for the support of the American people through USAID, the views expressed in the webinar do not necessarily reflect those of USAID or the United States Government.

For any questions regarding this event, please contact Isabella Cazier at icazier@integrallc.com