ABSTRACT
The persisting pandemic is having a devastating impact on that part of the most vulnerable and marginalized section which is already in grave misery – the displaced migrants. If we see the developing countries like South Asia, then hunger is a more profound issue to be dealt with than the pandemic. For migrant workers, it has become like a ‘crisis within a crisis’. Few nations that earlier had open border policies are now being forced to shut their doors to the migrants and ramp up vigilance in the wake of the pandemic. Worldwide lockdown and travel restrictions, inability to maintain social distancing, lack of access to better healthcare facilities, xenophobia, limited knowledge and unawareness of rules, are taking a toll on the overall well-being of the migrants who typically belong to the most oppressed and exploited section of the working class. Migrant workers are being directly affected by the pandemic; they suffer from psychological problems and a sense of impending doom. Countries need to come up with both short and long-term policies to extend all possible assistance to both internal and international migrants. Lack of proper access to healthcare during such an emergency especially for the migrants without proper documents is a denial of basic human rights. This pandemic may be treated as a wake-up call by the governments and their representatives about the need for social protection measures to ensure that migrant workers get basic services like food, education, shelter and security.
