MC2CM Policy Paper – GOING THE (SOCIAL) DISTANCE: How migrant and refugee-sensitive urban COVID-19 responses contribute to the realization of the Global Compacts for Migration and Refugees

February 12, 2021
Share on

While the COVID-19 pandemic affects societies worldwide, refugees and migrants in situations of mobility and protracted displacement most direly feel the negative impacts.

In partnership with the cities of its network, the the Mediterranean City-to-City Migration project (MC2CM) therefore launched the initiative “MC2CM support to City Response to COVID-19 Outbreak” in order to assist local authorities in the responsibility they undertake towards safeguarding their communities, of which migrants are an integral part. The initiative builds on local realities on the ground to offer policy guidelines, highlight promising practices and develop recommendations and concrete actions for emergency and recovery responses during and after the COVID-19 outbreak.

In the framework of the initiative, this policy paper has been developed in order to explore municipal COVID-19 crisis management and recovery responses sensitive to the needs and contributions of migrants and refugees in some Mediterranean cities.

The findings of this policy paper are based on an online survey as well as expert interviews with mayors, counsellors, representatives or public administrators of MC2CM network cities in Europe, Northern Africa and the Middle East conducted from August to September 2020.

MC2CM Policy Paper