Preparing Africa for Post COVID-19 Labour Migration

The Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) poses a more pervasive mobility crisis for Africa than any other pandemic-in- duced crisis, and on a level unprecedented since World War II. According to the Africa Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), by the end of November 2020 Africa stood at 2,184,209 confirmed cases and 52,231 lives lost. The International Labour Organization (ILO) estimated global job losses of about 195 million, with 20 million in Africa alone (ILO, 2020). No conflict or economic crisis in history has ever produced such large-scale border closures and restrictions on movement. As the world begins to adjust to the recurring waves and devastating effects of the virus, 271.6 million global migrants are amongst those most vulnerable (UN World Migration Report, 2020). In the African context, the pandemic continues to reveal migrants’ lack of social protection1 on many fronts, likely projecting long-lasting social and economic impacts....