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Pandemic Borders

COVID US Cda Border 20200320

The Canadian Press/Jonathan Hayward

Pandemic Borders:  Examining the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic

CERC Migration partners with openDemocracy (external link)  to create a blog platform (external link)  to examine the challenges that the COVID-19 pandemic raises for vulnerable residents and workers at and within national borders.

More than 80 international scholars from 12 countries were invited to provide commentary on the issues that are keeping them awake at night.  Writers share their perspective on how decisions that are made at the highest level have a rippling effect throughout our world.  But they also provide a spotlight on signs of resilience and solidarity within national borders as well as across boundaries of ethnicity, gender, age and class.

Are Canadians changing their attitude on migration due to COVID-19? (external link)  Andrew Parkin, University of Toronto and Keith Neuman, Environics Institute (November 24, 2020)

Hero nurses, untrustworthy domestic workers, and vilified sex workers (external link) , Maria Cecilia Hwang, McGill University (November 17, 2020)

The future of international students in Australia hangs in the balance, (external link)  Helen Forbes-Mewett, Monash Migration Centre (November 10, 2020)

Japan’s migrants are not allowed to go ‘home’ (external link) , Shiori Shakuto, National University of Singapore and Flavia Baldari, Tokyo College (November 3, 2020) 

Will Canada give its foreign essential workers their rights? (external link)  Usha George, Ryerson University (October 27, 2020)

Where are the immigrants in Canada’s policy debates? (external link)  Keith Banting, Queen's University (October 20, 2020) 

Why is migration vital to Canada’s smaller cities? (external link)  David Campbell, Ryerson University (October 13, 2020) 

The future of migration in the Global South: racializing diseases has to stop (external link) , Oreva Olakpe, Ryerson University (October 8, 2020) 

COVID-19 and the global addiction to cheap migrant labour (external link) , Randall Hansen, University of Toronto (October 6, 2020)

The bitter taste of Greek strawberries, (external link)  Reena Kukreja, Queen's University (September 2, 2020)

How COVID-19 is redefining “working remotely” for Canada’s high-skilled foreign workers (external link) ,  Anna Triandafyllidou and Lucia Nalbandian, Ryerson University (August 12, 2020)

Can the COVID-19 crisis be an opportunity for Canada’s migrant farmworkers? (external link)   Anna Triandafyllidou and Lucia Nalbandian, Ryerson University (August 5, 2020)

Can Nepal cope with the return of migrant workers? (external link)  Richa Shivakoti, Ryerson University (July 29, 2020)

Did the COVID-19 pandemic revive nationalism? (external link)  Marco Antonsich, Loughborough University (July 22, 2020)

What fate for the Venezuelan migrants stranded in Peru? (external link)  Marta Luzes, Universidad del Pacífico and Feline Freier, Universidad del Pacífico (July 15, 2020)

Will settlement agencies in Canada survive the pandemic?  (external link) John Shields, Ryerson University (July 8, 2020)

“South Africa belongs to all who live in it”, COVID-19 showed it does not (external link) , Pragna Rugunanan, University of Johannesburg (July 2, 2020)

For migrant workers in the MENA, flattening the curve of inequality is urgent (external link) , Georges Fahmi, University Institute in Fiesole (June 29, 2020) 

What future for the EU after COVID-19? (external link)  Ruth Wodak, Lancaster University (June 25, 2020)

Bio-surveillance, invisible borders and the dangerous after-effects of COVID-19 measures (external link) ,  Ayelet Shachar, University of Toronto (June 22, 2020)

COVID-19 at the Brazil-Venezuela borders: the good, the bad and the ugly,  (external link) Liliana Lyra Jubilut, Universidade Católica de Santos and João Carlos Jarochinski Silva, Universidade Federal de Roraima (June 18, 2020)

Re-bordering Canada’s privately sponsored refugees during the pandemic (external link) , Suzan Ilcan, University of Waterloo (June 15, 2020)

Vulnerable and unprotected in the US: it only takes political will (external link) , Richard Wright, Dartmouth College (June 12, 2020)

Foreign-trained doctors are untapped resource in pandemic figh (external link) t, Georgette Morris, Carleton University, Shireen Salti, Canadian Arab Institute and Anjum Sultana, YWCA Canada (June 10, 2020)

Immigrants are not to blame for global epidemics: insights from past and present  (external link) Tahseen Shams, University of Toronto (June 8, 2020)

Migrants face a dilemma during COVID-19: uncertainty at home or abroad?  (external link) Zeynep Sahin Mençutek, Ryerson University (June 5, 2020)

The Italian Chinatown that can teach us about resilience, (external link)  Caterina Francesca Guidi, Economist and Migration expert. (June 1, 2020)

COVID-19 in Southeast Asia: non-citizens have a right to protection too (external link) , Sriprapha Petcharamesree, Mahidol University (May 29, 2020)

In Canada, non-status women are being left behind,  (external link) Salina Abji, Rights of Non-Status Women’s Network, Margarita Pintin-Perez, OCASI and Rupaleem Bhuyan, University of Toronto (May 27, 2020)

COVID-19 reveals the inherent vindictiveness of migration detention (external link) , Michael Flynn, Global Detention Project and Katie Welsford, Writer and Researcher (May 25, 2020)

We need responsible multifaith solidarity to fight the pandemic (external link) , Marshia Akbar, Ryerson University (May 22, 2020)

What can be learn from Latin America’s solidarity cities?, (external link)  Margaret Godoy and Harald Bauder, Ryerson University (May 20, 2020)

Will global corporations take responsibility for they have long exploited?, (external link)  Jay Ramasubramanyam, Carlton University (May 18, 2020)

International students are vital to Canada’s economic recovery after COVID-19 (external link) , Stein Monteiro, Ryerson University (May 15, 2020)

Opera singers: the elite migrants trapped in Italy (external link) , Irina Isaakyan, European University Institute (May 13, 2020)

Stuck in the middle of a pandemic: are international students migrants? (external link)  Parvati Raghuram and Gunjan Sondhi, Open University (May 11, 2020)

Can COVID-19 positively change perceptions on migration?, (external link)  Catherine Xhardez, Concordia University (May 8, 2020)

In Canada: who is really essential?, (external link)  Audrey Macklin, University of Toronto (May 6, 2020)

Migrant domestic and care workers: high risk but low protection (external link) , Sabrina Marchett, Ca' Foscari University and Eileen Boris, University of California (May 4, 2020)

COVID-19: can technology become a tool of oppression and surveillance? (external link) , Petra Molnar, University of Toronto (May 1, 2020)

Keeping the Italian agri-food system alive: Migrant farmworkers wanted! (external link) , Letizia Palumbo, European University Institute and Alessandra Corrado, University of Calabria (April 29, 2020)

The coronavirus pandemic could be devastating for the world's migrants (external link) , Marie McAuliffe, International Organization for Migration and Céline Bauloz, International Organization for Migration (April 28, 2020)

In India, the pandemic is creating new borders, (external link)  Gurpreet Mahajan, Jawaharlal Nehru University (April 27, 2020)   

Will the ‘Singapore model’ survive the pandemic? (external link)  Jeremie Molho, National University of Singapore and European University Institute (April 24, 2020)

If COVID-19 is the Titanic, the economy is the iceberg (external link) ,  Margaret Walton-Roberts, Wilfrid Laurier University (April 22, 2020)

For Indian migrants in the Gulf it is a financial rather than a health crisis (external link) , S. Irudaya Rajan, Centre for Development Studies and H. Arokkiaraj, Leibniz Science Campus (April 20, 2020)

The many facets of pandemic vulnerability (external link)  Alison Mountz, Wilfred Laurier University (April 17, 2020)

COVID-19 does not care about residency status (external link) , Aryan Karimi, Rima Wilkes, University of British Columbia (April 16, 2020)

We need sanctuary cities and resilience during the COVID-19 pandemic (external link)  Graham Hudson, Ryerson University (April 14, 2020)

COVID-19: Canada locks its gates to asylum seekers (external link)  Claire Ellis, Ryerson University (April 10, 2020)

At times of a pandemic: transnational solidarity, not national borders (external link) ,  Anna Triandafyllidou, Ryerson University (April 9, 2020)

Coinciding with the Pandemic Borders blogs, CERC Migration hosted a series of Pandemic Borders Webinars running from May to June to bring together a number of the blog authors to further explore the themes concerning the extraordinary challenges that migrant populations have been facing as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.  

Follow the links to view past webinars.

Migrant Futures 

With COVID-19 disrupting travel, shutting borders, and redefining what is essential work, our expert bloggers have turned their attention to what international migration will look like after the pandemic.  In partnership with openDemocracy, CERC Migration has hosted two webinars featuring the blog writers of Migrant Futures.

Healthcare gig platforms help migrant workers survive – but at what cost? (external link) , Laura Lam (April, 20, 2022)

Ukrainian refugees need security. EU's temporary protection can't give it (external link, opens in new window) , Zeynep Sahin Mencutek, Ryerson University (March 11, 2022) 

The privilege of staying home: COVID and the higly skilled workforce (external link, opens in new window) , Agnieszka Weinar, Carleton University (December 21, 2021) 

How the UK's East and South-East Asian communities are fighting COVID-related violence (external link, opens in new window) , Diana Yeh, University of London (November 23, 2021) 

Getting a foothold in global opera: the cost of COVID (external link, opens in new window) , Irina Isaakyan, Ryerson University (November 17, 2021) 

Rethink migration policy for the vulverable to protect prosperity of all, (external link, opens in new window)  Robert McLeman, Wilfrid Laurier University (October 25, 2021) 

How COVID-19 exposed Canada's treatment of migrant workers (external link, opens in new window) , Ethel Tungohan, York University (September 30, 2021) 

Migrants bear the brunt of Canada's worsening housing crisis (external link, opens in new window) , Chloe Reiser, University of New Brunswick (September 23, 2021) 

Australia badly needs a plan to make refugee settlement work (external link, opens in new window) , Anna Ziersch, Flinders University and Clemence Due, University of Adelaide (September 15, 2021)

Italy's problem is not labour shortages, but a shortage of workers' rights (external link, opens in new window) , Alessandra Corado, University of Calabria and Letizia Palumbo, University of Venice (September 7, 2021)

Will hate crimes make Canada a less attractive destination for immigrants? (external link, opens in new window) , Miu Chung Yan, University of British Columbia (August 30, 2021) 

In Toronto, the pandemic is turning South Asian women into entrepreneurs (external link, opens in new window) , Sutama Ghosh, Ryerson University (July 13, 2021)

COVID-19 has worsened South Asian women in Canada's struggle to find jobs (external link, opens in new window) , Manjeet Dhiman, Cape Breton University, (June 29, 2021) 

For migrants in Canada, who bears the cost of home ownership? (external link, opens in new window) , Amin Moghadam, Ryerson University (June 15, 2021) 

The challenges of immigrating to Canada's smaller cities (external link, opens in new window) , Ather H. Akbari & Jigme Choerab, Saint Mary's University (May 18, 2021) 

Australia's regions need a new immigration plan after the pandemic (external link, opens in new window) , Rebecca Wickes, Monash University (May 11, 2021) 

The rise of the border and surveillance industry and why you should be concerned (external link, opens in new window) , Melissa Godin, University of Oxford (April 20, 2021) 

Could artificial intelligence improve decision-making in refugee cases? (external link, opens in new window) , Hilary Evans Cameron, University of Toronto (April 13, 2021) 

Will Biden's 'smart borders' be any different from Trump's? (external link, opens in new window) , Thomas Franco, Harvard University (March 30, 2021) 

China’s relations with the African continent: Three elephants in the room (external link) , Abdul-Gafar Tobi Oshodi, Lagos State University (March 23, 2021)

As COVID brings migrants home, how can Nepal reintegrate returning workers? (external link)  Chandan Sapkota, Asian Development Bank (March 16, 2021)

Anywhere but here? China’s response to refugee protection during COVID-19 (external link) , Lili Song, Otago University (March 9, 2021)

How COVID-19 exposed China’s anti-Black racism (external link) , Xianan Jin, University of London (March 2, 2021)

Permanently temporary: The problem with Canada’s immigration policy (external link)  Armine Yalnizyan, Future of Workers (February 26, 2021) 

Why the Canadian government must review its immigration policy (external link)   Andrew Griffith, Canadian Global Affairs Institute (February 23, 2021) 

What will migration look like after the pandemic? (external link)  Antoine Pécoud, University of Paris (February 16, 2021) 

Is COVID-19 an opportunity to achieve the rights of refugees? (external link)  James Milner, University of Oxford (February 9, 2021) 

COVID-19 was a big test for UN migration initiatives. Did they succeed? (external link)  Marion Panizzon, University of Bern (February 2, 2021) 

Sri Lanka’s returning migrants need more than plane tickets and quarantines  (external link)  Bilesha Weeraratne, Institute of Policy Studies of Sri Lanka (January 26, 2021) 

COVID-19 is pushing migrants back to their home countries (external link) , Ahmed Mushfiq Mobarak, Yale University and Mahreen Khan, MIT’s Sloan School of Management (January 21, 2021)

Europe must recognise the vital contributions of vulnerable migrants (external link) , Simone Baglioni, University of Parma (January 19, 2021)

The other pandemic for migrant workers: wage theft (external link) , Nicola Piper, University of Sydney and Laura Foley, University of London (January 12, 2021)

Returning ‘heroes’: Filipino migrant workers met with a devastated economy (external link) , Sophie Henderson, University of Cambridge (January 5, 2021)

What will international migration in West Africa look like after COVID-19? (external link)  Joseph Teye, University of Ghana (December 16, 2020)

Are Canadians really open to more migration in the future? (external link)  Phil Triadafilopoulos, University of Toronto (December 9, 2020)

Immigration is the key to Canada’s survival and recovery after COVID-19 (external link) , Evangelia Tastsoglou, Saint Mary's University (December 1, 2020)

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