COVID-19 and The Migration Crisis

Hello delegates! While doing research for topic two, it is important to think about the ways in which COVID-19 has affected the migration policies within your country. Migrants within the Americas have faced unprecedented challenges due to the border closures and lack of available services during the pandemic. Border closures, which often occurred with little warning, forced many migrants out of their country of refuge. Additionally, the withdrawal of NGOs has led to a sharp decline in the amount of humanitarian aid assisting migrant populations. With fewer and fewer resources available, migrants have become even more vulnerable to the dangers of human trafficking, sexual abuse, and extreme poverty. As detailed in the New York Times’ expose on rising inequality in Latin America during the pandemic, many Venezuelan refugees in Colombia had no choice but “returning to a nation where they were almost certain that disaster awaited.” A joint UNHCR (UN Refugee Agency) and IOM (Internat...