On 10 May 2020, a panel discussion was conducted by Global Research Forum on Diaspora and Transnationalism [GRFDT] on the topic, ‘Migrants and Immigrants during COVID 19: Country Specific Cases”.
Professor Binod Khadria, the speaker, was Professor of Economics at the School of Social Sciences, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi. He was also the Director of the International Migration and Diaspora Studies (IMDS) Project at Jawaharlal Nehru University. In the webinar, he discussed how migration mobility will be affected by COVID-19.
He expressed gratitude that the webinar was focusing primarily on the migrants and their families, as historically the focus has been on how the origin and destination states deal with migrants. Prof. Khadria stated that the internal migrant data in India is outdated, dating back to 2001, and the 2011 data is still not complete which makes it harder to map migrant mobility. During COVID-19, there has been an increase in selective acceptance of migrants. Prof.Khadria pointed out that “when it comes to immigrants it will come to selecting who comes in and out”. He reasoned that doctors and nurses will be preferred in most countries as they are essential during the pandemic. He further stated that migration post the pandemic will prioritize the Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) students and practitioners. He termed this the ‘re-emergence of brain drain’. Citing the US Presidential Executive Order of suspending all green card applications for citizenship except for health workers, Prof. Khadria concluded his address by stating that the new normal post pandemic shall make migration a very selective process, with restrictions imposed on who can migrate and who cannot.
Report by: Inomusa Ndlovu