16 June, 3.00 pm – 4.00 pm CEST
The coronavirus pandemic is having a profound impact on global migration and mobility trends. Refugees, already particularly vulnerable, risk to be disproportionately affected. As countries across the world have closed their borders to contain the spread of the virus, many have made no exception to the admission of asylum seekers. In destination and transit countries, refugees are particularly at risk due to limited access to healthcare and sanitation facilities. The journey from Africa to Europe, already life-threatening before the pandemic, has thus become even more dangerous. Nonetheless, as media attention turned towards other problems, asylum seekers still tried to leave Libya.
How will the coronavirus pandemic affect refugees, both within Africa and in their journey to Europe?
Panel discussion
Tsion Tadesse ABEBE, Senior Researcher Migration Programme, Institute for Security Studies (ISS), Ethiopia
Blessing MBERU, Research Scientist and Head of Urbanization and Wellbeing, African Population and Health Research Center (APHRC), Kenya
Alessandra MORELLI, UNHCR Representative in Niger
Olivia SUNDBERG DIEZ, Policy Analyst, European Policy Centre (EPC), Belgium
Matteo VILLA, Research Fellow, Migration Programme, ISPI, Italy
This is the second round table of the initiative “Africa and Europe after COVID-19 Managing Migration Together” aiming to discuss some major issues affecting migrations between Africa and Europe in a time of pandemic.
It is organized on the occasion of the publication of the Report “The Future of Migration to Europe”, edited by ISPI with the support of the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, in accordance with Article 23-bis of the Decree of the President of the Italian Republic 18/1967, which is available at this link.
ISPI is hosting this event online. To join the meeting and take part in the debate with the panelists, please register here:
