Preparedness, prevention and control of coronavirus disease (‎COVID-19)‎ for refugees and migrants in non-camp settings: interim guidance, 17 April 2020

Most refugees and migrants live in individual and communal accommodations in cities, towns, industrial and urban areas. They face similar health threats from coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) as their host populations. However, due to the conditions of their migratory journeys, limited employment opportunities, overcrowded and poor living and working conditions with inadequate access to food, water, sanitation, and other basic services, refugees and migrants may have specific vulnerabilities. Many migrants are often excluded from national programmes for health promotion, disease prevention, treatment and care, as well as from financial protection schemes for health and social services. This exclusion makes early detection, testing, diagnosis, contact tracing and seeking care for COVID-19 difficult for refugees and migrants thus increasing the risk of outbreaks in these populations, and that such outbreaks may go unchecked or even actively concealed. These conditions present an additional threat to public health.

Aligned with the WHO COVID-19 Strategic Preparedness and Response Plan and WHO Technical Guidance for COVID-19, this document offers guidance to Member States and partners, and aims to contribute to the global public health efforts to prevent COVID-19. It calls for the inclusion of refugees and migrants, as part of holistic efforts to respond to COVID-19 epidemics in the general population. These efforts should be in accordance with the objectives of the global response to the pandemic and aligned with many legal instruments, including international human rights obligations, refugee law, international labour standards and other relevant international and regional instruments and standards.

This document is informed by current guidance and knowledge of COVID-19 outbreaks in different countries and settings, as well as World Health Assembly resolutions 61.17 (Health of migrants) and 70.15 (Promoting the health of refugees and migrants), global compacts regarding migration and refugees, the framework of priorities and guiding principles to promote the health of refugees and migrants, the global action plan for promoting the health of refugees and migrants and WHO regional resolutions and action plans. This guidance compliments the Interim Guidance Scaling-up COVID-19 outbreak, readiness and response operations in humanitarian situations including camps and camp-like settings.

WHO will continue to update these recommendations as new information becomes available in close collaboration with its partners.