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Past campaigns

Covid-19 impact on Frontline Migrant Workers

76% of migrant frontline workers said they felt they were putting their own health at risk by continuing to work during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Covid-19 crisis in the UK has demonstrated the importance of workers from the low-waged sectors, in particular, social care, healthcare settings, and those on the frontline in construction or security industries. We are now finally appreciating those long standing workers who have been on the frontline for decades caring for those in need, providing essential services, and keeping the UK economy alive.


Many of these frontline workers are from a migrant, EU citizen or Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic background (BAME), who may lack awareness of their worker and welfare rights and entitlements, and may be continuing work, or having to return to work to avoid destitution, or due to their immigration conditions. The added factor of immigration conditions or precarious immigration status including lack of status presents a greater vulnerability and an increased likelihood of being taken advantage of by unscrupulous employers, especially where they do not have recourse to public funds. Unfortunately, it is also these workers, who are at greater risk of being infected and suffering with severe symptoms of Covid-19 because of their BAME and socio-economic backgrounds.

And now, with an easing of lockdown measures, and a real lack of clarity on who can and should go back to work (bar those specifically mentioned in the Prime Minister’s speech), “We now need to stress that anyone who can’t work from home, for instance those in construction or manufacturing, should be actively encouraged to go to work.”  there is a risk that some migrant workers and those from a BAME background will be forced to return to work without adequate personal protective equipment (PPE), risk assessments and proper shielding being carried out, which could in turn intensify the number of people infected by  COVID-19 from these groups. This is in spite of the furlough scheme being extended, although we are aware that this does not, and will not protect all vulnerable workers.

What we’re doing

We created a survey alongside our partners Kanlungan Filipino Consortium, Migrants At Work and The 3 Million to gather the views and experiences of frontline BAME and migrant workers as the lockdown measures are eased to demonstrate any potential or existing risks, and the impact of working in a crisis on their economic, mental and physical wellbeing.

Our Survey Findings

In December 2020, we held two events, to discuss our report findings and talk about the physical, mental and emotional impact of Covid-19 on people of colour and migrant front-line workers.

In the first event we were joined by esteemed campaigner and activist Patrick Vernon OBE, to discuss the preliminary findings at our London Network Meeting

And our formal report launch took place on December 17 2020, where we were joined by Nadia Whittome MP, Rogelio Brago – Project Manager of Kanlungan Filipino Consortium, Ake Achi – Director of Migrants At Work, and Dr Alexandra Bulat – co-chair of the Young Europeans Network at the3million. For more on that event and to read our full report findings please click here

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