Doua Ahmed (2023)
Food insecurity among international migrants during COVID-19: A scoping review
Main content
Submitted: 2023
Supervisors: PhD-student Pierina Benavente and professor Esperanza Diaz
Abstract
Background:
The SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus and the measures imposed to control it have increased food insecurity globally, particularly among populations in vulnerable situations. Food insecurity, in turn, has repercussions on health, exacerbating pre-existing inequalities. This scoping review maps the literature describing associations between the COVID-19 pandemic and food insecurity among migrants, with a particular view toward health.
Methods:
The search was performed in four electronic databases: Embase, Medline, Web of Science and PsychINFO, and included studies published by November 30th, 2022. Papers written in English and covering topics of food (in)security, international migrants, and COVID-19 were included. Forty-six studies were selected from the 909 references initially extracted. Selected studies were charted in an Excel sheet, analysed and findings were reported.
Results:
The migrant populations described originated most often from Latin America (11/46) and were located in North America (21/46). Refugees and asylum seekers were the most represented migrant groups (20/46). The main challenges described were financial hardship (28/46), the effect of migrants’ documentation status on using public food aid (13/46), and the suspension of or reduction in humanitarian assistance due to the economic recession (7/46). The impact of food insecurity on migrants’ mental and physical health was described in 26 of the 46 studies.
Conclusion: Authorities in all destination countries should focus their attention and efforts into ensuring nutrition security for migrants in a holistic way, including their economic and legal integration, to be better prepared for health crises in the future.