The outbreak, in late 2019, of the novel Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) and now labeled a pandemic by the World Health Organization (WHO), is redefining humanity in ways we cant imagine. With millions of people affected and hundreds of millions of deaths, the virus has disregarded status, class, race, religion, nationality, gender, creed and location, businesses and, government operations. The world of work, as well as individual and communal lives, have been affected in profound and dire ways. This new virus most negatively impacts the African migrant workers who rarely benefit from equal treatment in employment and often struggle to access social rights in the countries of destination.

1. The Coronavirus
Pandemic & Labour
Migration in Africa
By Professor Adesoji Adesugba

2. INTRODUCTION
The outbreak in late 2019 of the novel
#coronavirus (COVID-19), and now
labeled a pandemic by the World Health
Organization (WHO), is redefining
humanity.
The virus has disregarded status, class,
race, religion, nationality, gender, creed
and location, businesses, and
government operations.

3. The Effect
4 million people
infected
Over 285,000
deaths
63,000
confirmed #COVID-
19 cases on the
African continent –
More than 2,280
associated deaths.
•Source: World Health
Organisation (WHO),
11 May 2020

4. African
Union’s
Response
• Expression of concern about the welfare of
African migrant workers, refugees and IDPs
• Source: African Union Labour Migration Advisory
Committee (LMAC website)

5. African Union’s
Response
• Commendation of support and
coordination of the efforts of
Member States by Africa CDC,
Ministries of Labour of member
states, the African Union
Commission & RECs

6. Immediate Impact
Introduction of
travel
restrictions
worldwide
Data from UNWTO
– 100% of
destinations have
restrictions in
place
83% with
restrictions as of
20th of April
Untold hardship
on migrants
affected by travel
restrictions

7. Projected
Impact
Exposure of International migrants to the immediate
and long-term harms of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Loss of Income
Restricted movement
Reduced market access
Inflation
Price hikes

8. Impact on
Employment
Companies scaling down
Outright closing
60% of the available workforce
unemployed

9. Impact on
Migration
More African youth will make desparate
attempts to migrate
Set back in mobility of labour
Set back in relaxation of visa regimes
Increase in returnees

10. Challenges
Arising
Travel restrictions have created
serious challenges for migrant
workers
Lack of assistance from host
countries
Exposure to the virus due to lack
of access to medical facilities

11. Challenges
Arising
• Reports of African migrant
workers in places like China
and Spain facing untold
hardships, due to
discrimination and
restrictions on fundamental
human rights

12. Challenges Arising
• Black residents maltreated
in China with restrictions
on movement and denial of
access to public
transportation, hotels,
shopping & medical
facilities

13. Discriminating
Against Blacks
in China

14. Cross-section
of those
Affected
• Categories:
• Skilled workers
• Unskilled workers
• Others
• Legal migrants
• Students living & working in host countries
after education
• Those forced to host countries as slaves

15. Impact on Major
Revenue Source
• Reduction in remittances
• Remittances to fall by 20% to $445 Billion
globally
• Remittances to Sub-Saharan Africa to fall by
23.1% from $48 billion in 1999 to $37 Billion
in 2020

16. Impact on Economic
Growth
• Economic growth stabilized at
3.4% in 2019
• Projections to increase to 3.9%
in 2020, 4.1% in 2021
• Targets unattainable

17. Impact on Economic
Growth
To decline from 2.4% to b/w -
2.1% & -5.1% in 2020
To experience 1st recession in 25
years
Impact more felt on oil producing
countries, e.g. Nigeria, Angola

18. Impact on
Economic
Growth – Of
Note: AfCFTA Expected opportunities temporily
delayed such as:
Labor mobility
Relaxed visa
regimes
Implementation of African Continental
Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA) put on
hold

19. Pre-Covid-19 Socio-
Economic Environment
Returnees
encouraged to
return home
Provision of
resettlement
programs
Loans for new
setups

20. Impact on Infrastructural
Development, Post-Covid-19
Likely attempts in
eliminating the
infrastructural
deficit
Likely increase in
industrial capacity
More jobs created
Better socio-
eonomic
environment

21. Post-Covid-19 Socio-
Economic Environment
Creation of
enabling
environment to
reset the economy
Discouraging
migration
Encouraging the
diaspora to return
to Africa

22. Post-Covid-19
Socio-Economic
Environment
• Significant improvement in
enabling the environment to
improve productivity
• Changing paradigms towards to
reduce poverty through jobs
creation
• Changing paradigms to reduce
mortality rate from infectious
deseases

23. Post-Covid-19 Socio-
Economic Environment
• Increasing political
will by African
Leaders