Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s coronavirus restrictions sent migrant workers fleeing. To get them home, the government offered special trains. But the trains would spread the virus across the country.
Tag: Migrant Labor (Non-Agriculture)
Covid Infections, and Blame, Rise Along Southeast Asian Borders
The region depends on its porous crossings for economic activity. But countries have been quick to point fingers when the coronavirus has spread along shared frontiers.
Ethiopian Workers Are Forced to Return Home, Some With Coronavirus
Stigmatized, out of work and facing dangers, migrant laborers are returning by the thousands — and may be fueling a growing outbreak in Ethiopia.
Big Business in Bangladesh: Selling Fake Coronavirus Certificates
A hospital owner was arrested trying to flee in disguise after selling certificates saying that migrant workers were coronavirus-free. Most were never tested.
Laid Off and Locked Up: Virus Traps Domestic Workers in Arab States
The pandemic and economic crises have caused many workers to lose their jobs. Some have been detained, abused, deprived of wages and stranded far from home with nowhere to turn for help.
For Migrants in Russia, Virus Means No Money to Live and No Way to Leave
The coronavirus has highlighted migrants’ inferior status in Russia. With no jobs, and sometimes no health care, many want to go home — but find they can’t.
‘Lionhearted’ Girl Bikes Dad Across India, Inspiring a Nation
A 15-year-old migrant girl pedaled hundreds of miles to bring her injured father back to their home village. India’s cycling federation has taken notice.
A Sudden Coronavirus Surge Brought Out Singapore’s Dark Side
The pandemic seemed to pass over the city-state. Then the government was blindsided by an outbreak among poor migrant workers in packed dormitories.
Virus Forces Persian Gulf States to Reckon With Migrant Labor
The Mideast’s wealthiest countries depend on foreigners to do jobs their citizens won’t. But the virus has hobbled the arrangement and drawn attention to its inequities.
‘This Isn’t the Time for Caviar’: A Chef Finds New Flavors in a Pandemic
After the coronavirus lockdown, a chef in Bangkok and his migrant staff started cooking a whole new menu and delivering food to the poor.