Disruption and restart?

Bergmann J.; Martin S.F. · Handbook of Research on Migration, COVID-19 and Cities (2025) · DOI: 10.4337/9781035301232.00009

Resumen

We examine the historical, bidirectional links between pandemics and (im)mobilities and analyze how they unfolded during the COVID-19 emergency. Results show, first, that the extensive travel restrictions to combat the spread of the coronavirus early on were not a panacea. Second, government responses, and the resulting economic impacts, increased involuntary immobility by reducing people's resources to move and the demand for labor. Stay-at-home measures posed challenges for migrants lacking options to work from home and others living in crowded circumstances. Third, people's attempts to protect themselves from the virus resulted in shifting patterns of mobility, including changes in cross-border return and urban-to-rural movements. Fourth, as the COVID-19 pandemic moved into the endemic phase, many restrictive policies were withdrawn but further challenges arose as governments struggled to address the new situation. We propose approaches to alleviate the burden of restrictions while still addressing the need to contain pandemics and lessen their repercussions. © The Editor and Contributing Authors Severally 2025.