(Not That) Essential: A Scoping Review of Migrant Workers’ Access to Health Services and Social Protection during the COVID-19 Pandemic in Australia, Canada, and New Zealand

Satrio Nindyo Istiko, Jo Durham and Lana Elliott
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Satrio Nindyo Istiko: School of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, The University of Queensland, Herston, QLD 4006, Australia
Jo Durham: School of Public Health and Social Work, Faculty of Health, Queensland University of Technology, Kelvin Grove, QLD 4059, Australia
Lana Elliott: School of Public Health and Social Work, Faculty of Health, Queensland University of Technology, Kelvin Grove, QLD 4059, Australia

IJERPH, 2022, vol. 19, issue 5, 1-13

Abstract: Migrant workers have been disproportionately affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. To examine their access to health services and social protection during the pandemic, we conducted an exploratory scoping review on experiences of migrant workers in three countries with comparable immigration, health, and welfare policies: Australia, Canada, and New Zealand. After screening 961 peer-reviewed and grey literature sources, five studies were included. Using immigration status as a lens, we found that despite more inclusive policies in response to the pandemic, temporary migrant workers, especially migrant farm workers and international students, remained excluded from health services and social protection. Findings demonstrate that exploitative employment practices, precarity, and racism contribute to the continued exclusion of temporary migrant workers. The interplay between these factors, with structural racism at its core, reflect the colonial histories of these countries and their largely neoliberal approaches to immigration. To address this inequity, proactive action that recognizes and targets these structural determinants at play is essential.

Keywords: migrant workers; COVID-19; access; migrant farm workers; international students; social protection (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
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