Maple News reports that immigrants and their children across OECD countries are facing a significantly harder time navigating the COVID-19 pandemic, with concerns mounting over a potential long-term integration crisis. The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) has released a policy brief warning that without effective policy interventions, the pandemic could deepen disparities in health, employment, education, and social inclusion for immigrant communities.
The OECD notes that immigrants are more than twice as likely to contract COVID-19 in many member countries. This heightened risk is linked to underlying vulnerabilities such as greater exposure to poverty, cramped housing conditions, and employment in high-contact jobs that don’t allow for social distancing. These conditions have also contributed to higher COVID-19 mortality rates among foreign-born populations.
Labour market disparities have also sharpened. Immigrants are largely employed in sectors most affected by shutdowns — including hospitality, domestic work, and retail. For instance, foreign-born individuals make up a quarter of workers in the EU’s hospitality industry, despite representing just 13% of the workforce overall. Limited job security, reduced workplace seniority, and fewer professional networks further diminish their chances of rapid recovery in the job market.
Moreover, economic downturns tend to exacerbate discrimination and limit hiring, worsening job prospects for immigrant populations. OECD research has identified that during times of labour market stress, reliance on informal professional networks increases — a challenge for many immigrants who often lack such support systems.
Immigrant children also face educational setbacks due to prolonged school closures. Many live in households with limited digital resources or a lack of quiet study space. Forty percent of native-born children of immigrants don’t speak the host country’s language at home, complicating remote learning. These factors risk widening educational gaps and hindering long-term integration.
According to Maple News, the findings are part of a broader OECD effort to assess the pandemic’s impact on migration and integration. They accompany previous reports on international migration management and form a crucial section of the OECD International Migration Outlook 2020.
The OECD calls on governments to proactively respond with integration-focused policies — ranging from targeted employment assistance and language training to stronger digital inclusion strategies in education. Without urgent and inclusive policy measures, the pandemic could leave lasting scars on immigrant communities and aggravate social and economic divides across OECD nations.