In its annual report on migration, published Thursday, October 28, the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) finds that migration flows to member countries have fallen by more than 30% in 2020.
“The Covid-19 crisis led to the biggest drop on record in immigration flows in OECD countries”, summarizes this annual report on migration, which counts 3.7 million migrants who have joined twenty-five of its member countries. This is the lowest level recorded since 2003. The fall would even have “Well over 50% if we do not take into account changes in status”, which can administratively make the same person appear twice.
“All categories of permanent immigration have declined”
Among the five main OECD countries of destination, France recorded the least marked decrease (- 21%), with 230,000 “New immigrants”, according to the document.
Globally, “All categories of permanent immigration have declined”, whether temporary labor migration or family migration (- 35%). The only category of immigration that has not seen a significant drop during this year when the Covid-19 pandemic paralyzed global economies is that of seasonal agricultural workers (- 9%).
This is explained, according to the OECD, by the fact that Western countries needed this workforce, even in times of health crisis, at the risk of losing crops. The so-called “Corsican clementine” dossier proved it, when an airlift had been set up to bring more than nine hundred Moroccan seasonal workers to the island.
After having measured the impact of the pandemic and its social and economic consequences over one year, the OECD predicts that the key issue for the coming months “Will be to ensure that the recovery plan is inclusive”, and therefore concerns immigrants. Indeed, the organization notes that the last fifteen months have “Put an end to ten years of continuous improvement in the situation of immigrants on the labor market”.
Jean-Christophe Dumont, head of the OECD Migration Division, told AFP:
“It remains relatively moderate, because there have been very significant efforts to keep people employed during the crisis (…). Immigrants are still among the most vulnerable populations, as they are concentrated in the most affected sectors, such as hotels and restaurants. “