Migrant Remittances and Covid-19: Practices of Care during Crisis
Lead Research Organisation:
Queen Mary University of London
Department Name: Geography
Abstract
It is predicted that Covid-19 will wipe out US$100 billion in remittance flows, constituting the sharpest contraction since tracking began in 1980 (World Bank, 2020). This decline, driven by reduced capacities among sending communities, is coinciding with escalating need as the pandemic takes hold in many receiving communities. Given its sizeable migrant population, the UK is a significant originator of remittance flows (Migration Observatory, 2020). The British government's response to this remittance emergency aligns with global efforts to 'keep remittances moving' (DFID, 2020). While important, this raises significant questions about the extent to which policy is able to support the resilience of remittances and respond to this unprecedented challenge. Situating remittances as practices of care, and focusing on Somali, Brazilian and Indian migrants in London, Cardiff and Glasgow, this project addresses three lacunae. First, it examines shifts in the nature, patterns and direction of remittance sending in response to Covid-19, tracking the impact of the pandemic on migrants' labour market experiences, BAME migrants' vulnerability to the virus and the needs of transnational families. Second, it redresses a bias in remittance studies by exploring the implications of disrupted remittance flows on migrant (as opposed to recipient) wellbeing. Third, it investigates how migrants' access to remittance services has been affected by Covid-19, and the impacts of increased digitisation of financial services. Deploying mixed methods combining digital methods with secondary analysis, the project's findings will be immediately relevant to cross-HMG work on protecting remittance corridors, and government and NGO stakeholders working with migrant populations.
Publications
Datta, K
(2023)
Handbook in Migration, Gender and Covid-19
Datta, K
(2023)
Handbook in Migration, Gender and Covid-19
Lindlay, A
(2023)
Elgar Companion on Migration and the Sustainable Development Goals.
| Description | With Covid-19 predicted to have a significant impact upon migrant well-being and remittance sending practices and behaviours, this project addresses three key priorities. First, it examines shifts in the nature, patterns and direction of remittance sending in response to Covid-19, tracking the impact of the pandemic on migrants' labour market experiences, wider experiences of socio-economic deprivation and the needs of transnational families. Second, it explores the implications of remittance sending - and potential disruptions to these flows - on migrant wellbeing. Third, it investigates how migrants' access to remittance services has been affected by Covid-19, and the impacts of increased digitisation of financial services. Focusing on the Somali, Brazilian and Indian migrant communities living in London, Cardiff and Glasgow, a mixed methods approach was deployed which combined two on-line questionnaire surveys (involving 356 respondents in the first round and 55 in the second), in-depth interviews conducted with migrant women and men as well as remittance service providers (76 in total), focus group discussions with Somali participants and five workshops with community, policy and industry experts. The key findings of the project are (i) remittances kept moving through the pandemic, with migrant communities responding to escalating needs in countries of origin or heritage, with evidence of community-level stability in terms of remitting to family and friends for their use. This said, there were important variations between the three communities, as well as evidence of greater volatility at an individual level. Capacities to remit were underpinned by various factors, including migrant embeddedness and determination to adapt, stability in some jobs, and government supports for some. However, there was also evidence of significant precarity. As the pandemic and lockdowns reduced incomes, many people experienced serious stress, struggling to send money, or being unable to send money. People also identified difficulties in paying for essential services (rent, bills) with a subset experiencing food poverty. (ii) Migrant well being was adversely impacted by the pandemic. Heightened anxiety and mental stress was evidenced a number of participants particularly as the pandemic escalated in their origin countries (India and Brazil). Within this context, many people derived a real sense of meaning and connection from being able to send money: a sense of paying back, or paying forwards, and strengthening of family feeling. This was accentuated by the limitations on the possibility of physical visits and concerning reports of the unfolding situation in countries of origin. However, some people experienced significant stress around remitting and/or the expectation that they would continue to do so during the pandemic - whether because they were struggling to send, or feeling shame that they could not. The role of digital media in facilitating contact with transnational families and friends was highlighted by many as being vital to their well-being. (iii) Evidence of the digitisation of remittance sending varied. It was evident that on-line remittance sending was used in some migrant communities (Brazilian and Indian) and among younger generations of senders even prior to the pandemic. There was some incidence of greater use of on-line facilities with remittance intermediaries highlighting how they sought to educate their clients in the use of these mechanisms. (iv) The role of community and migrant organisations in responding to the needs of migrant communities was noted throughout the project. In many instances they were the 'first responders', identifying needs and organising to address these. |
| Exploitation Route | There are a number of ways in which the outcomes of this research can be taken forward by different stakeholders: (i) The project provides robust evidence of remittance sending during periods of crisis, and the different mechanisms used to send money. These findings have a relevance beyond the Covid-19 pandemic, particularly in the context of the current cost of living crisis in the UK and responses to these. (ii) Covid-19 has highlighted pre-existing inequities in access to support for migrant communities which were not adequately responded to by government and became exacerbated during the pandemic. This research illustrates the need to better understand these inequalities, and to move away from crisis mode short-term responses that assume that intended beneficiaries will be able to access them. This will require better engagement and understanding of migrant community needs. (iii) Government measures to alleviate hardship such as furlough schemes and other forms of access to public funding need to be reconsidered in light of the challenges of migrant communities who are either currently ineligible or are not able to navigate the processes of securing such access to publicly-funded support. (iv) Community organisations have been at the fore in responding to acute needs, often in contexts where their own funding is being cut. There needs to be greater recognition and resourcing for the central role of such organisations in responding appropriately to needs as they arise in times of crisis. |
| Sectors | Communities and Social Services/Policy,Financial Services, and Management Consultancy,Healthcare,Government, Democracy and Justice,Other |
| URL | https://www.qmul.ac.uk/geog/research/research-projects/connecting-during-covid/ |
| Description | A range of impact related activities have been undertaken as reported elsewhere on ResearchFish, some of which are on-going. These have entailed policy and industry workshops, the development of educational resources aligned to the GCSE and A Level curriculum, a workshop exploring the role of the arts in migration and human rights research and advocacy as well as an animation. These activities are in train but have been used to engage in dialogue with policy makers at a local, city and national level. |
| First Year Of Impact | 2023 |
| Sector | Other |
| Impact Types | Policy & public services |
| Description | Research England Policy Impact |
| Amount | £30,000 (GBP) |
| Organisation | Queen Mary University of London |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 01/2022 |
| End | 06/2022 |
| Description | SOAS Impact and Knowledge Exchange Fund |
| Amount | £7,500 (GBP) |
| Organisation | School of Oriental and African Studies (University of London) |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 11/2021 |
| End | 04/2022 |
| Title | In-depth interviews |
| Description | In-depth interviews - 71 - in total have been completed with Indian, Brazilian and Somali migrants living in London, Cardiff and Glasgow. |
| Type Of Material | Improvements to research infrastructure |
| Year Produced | 2021 |
| Provided To Others? | No |
| Impact | This is primary material which is shaping project outputs, impact and engagement activities |
| Title | Qualitative research |
| Description | 4 focus groups involving 30 participants undertaken with Somali participants in Cardiff. |
| Type Of Material | Improvements to research infrastructure |
| Year Produced | 2021 |
| Provided To Others? | No |
| Impact | These focus group have fed directly into planned consultative impact workshops planned for March 2022. |
| Title | Questionnaire survey |
| Description | A questionnaire survey has been developed to identify trends in remittance sending practices pre and during the Covid-19 pandemic; its impact on migrants caring responsibilities and their own needs, and potential shifts in remittance sending mechanisms. The questionnaire has been developed for on-line implementation by Brazilian, Somali and Indian migrants. |
| Type Of Material | Improvements to research infrastructure |
| Year Produced | 2021 |
| Provided To Others? | No |
| Impact | The impact of the questionnaire survey is yet to be realised. The survey was launched in early March 2021. |
| Title | Survey |
| Description | A second round of survey interviews was conducted online in December 2021 and January 2022. |
| Type Of Material | Improvements to research infrastructure |
| Year Produced | 2021 |
| Provided To Others? | Yes |
| Impact | A total of 61 survey interviews were completed. These findings will feed into planned impact and engagement activities. |
| Description | Annual Elizabeth Colson Lecture, Oxford University's Queen Elizabeth House |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Co-I Laura Hammond was invited to give the Annual Elizabeth Coulson lecture. Her talk was entitled 'Mobility and Immobility in the Time of Coronavirus: Reflections from Long-Term Study of Migration and Displacement.' The lecture, delivered on on-line, was attended by 500 people and has been subsequently downloaded 825 times. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2020 |
| Description | Blog |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Engagement focused website, blog or social media channel |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Study participants or study members |
| Results and Impact | Gabriela Loureiro published a blog, Organizações discutem os problemas enfrentados por imigrantes brasileiros no Reino Unido durante a pandemia, in May 2021, hosted on the project website |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
| Description | Blog posted on World Bank Blog series |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Engagement focused website, blog or social media channel |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Policymakers/politicians |
| Results and Impact | Blog authored by Kavita Datta, Laura Hammond and Saliha Majeed-Hajaj, 'How the UK Indian diaspora give and receive care in the time of Covid-19,' was posted on the World Bank's People on the Move series. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
| Description | Community Spotlight Workshop |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Third sector organisations |
| Results and Impact | A workshop was held with migrant third sector organisations and Advisory Board members exploring the impact of the pandemic on Indian, Brazilian and Somali migrants in London, Glasgow and Cardiff. Following this a workshop report was produced - Connecting during Covid-19: Practices of care, remittance sending and digitisation among UK's migrant communities, Anna Lindley, Saliha Majeed-Hajaj, Gabriela Silva Loureiro Kavita Datta, Elaine Chase and Laura Hammond, March 2021 |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
| Description | Community Spotlight Workshop |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Industry/Business |
| Results and Impact | A community spotlight workshop was held with remittance service providers and third sector organisations exploring the role of the pandemic in shaping digital remittance sending. Following the event a workshop briefing was produced, entitle 'Connecting during Covid: Digital remittance sending practices during the pandemic: Opportunities and limitations.' |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
| Description | Conference presentation |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Presentation at the RGS-IBG Annual Conference held at the University of Newcastle in September 2022. Talk delivered by Anna Lindley and entitled "Migrants' remittances through mobile global crisis: interrogating resilience" |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
| Description | Interview for media |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Interview for Khaleej Times, Diaspora turned Covid Warriors, 19th May 2021 |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
| Description | Interview for radio |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Media (as a channel to the public) |
| Results and Impact | This interview was with BBC Money Box programme focusing on Migrant Remittances. It was followed by emails from the audience seeking further information on the project and its findings. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
| Description | Key note address |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Invited key note address at the Annual conference on International Migration: Food (in)security and migrants on the move, organised by MiFOOD, IIMAD and IMRC, October, 2022. Talk delivered by K Datta and entitled "Food insecurity and provisioning among UK migrant communities." |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
| Description | Keynote address at the Intergovernmental Authority on Development 2nd Scientific Conference on Mobility and Displacement |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Co-I Laura Hammond gave the keynote address at this conference entitled 'Moving through COVID: Impacts of the pandemic on the lives of migrant and displaced populations.' The session attended by 300 people. The recording is noted as having 1000 views. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2020 |
| Description | Keynote presentation, Financialization, Migrant and Personal Finance Workshop, Open University. |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Pi Kavita Datta was invited to give a key note presentation at the Financialisation, Migration and Personal Finance Workshop organised by Open University. Her talk was entitled 'Migrants money practices in the financialized city of London'. The half day on-line workshop was designed to develop new research agendas. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
| Description | Migration and Human Rights COMICON |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Migration and Human Rights Comicon was a full day event showcased collaborations between artists and researchers, held in partnership with Queen Mary University of London, SOAS, UCL, PositiveNegatives, and the Royal Geographical Society with the Institute of British Geographers. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
| Description | Podcast |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A broadcast e.g. TV/radio/film/podcast (other than news/press) |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Policymakers/politicians |
| Results and Impact | Podcast on Migrant remittances and Covid-19 |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
| URL | https://soundcloud.com/rgsibg/migrant-remittances-and-covid-19-professor-kavita-datta-and-dr?utm_sou... |
| Description | Policy impact workshop |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Policymakers/politicians |
| Results and Impact | Workshop held in Cardiff with ~80+ participants in attendance, including members from Grangetown Centre, Anti-Tribalism Movement, and project Advisory Board members drawn from academia, the remittance industry, and the Cardiff Council Leader. Relationships built at the workshop has led to ongoing conversations with the Labour Party Grangetown Branch between the Cardiff Somali community members and key Labour councillors as migrant community members have begun lobbying key politicians and practitioners with findings and recommendations from the research. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
| Description | Policy impact workshop |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Policymakers/politicians |
| Results and Impact | Workshop held in Glasgow included members from Newcastle University, Govan Community Project, Freedom from Torture, West of Scotland Regional Equality Council (WSREC), Scottish Refugee Council, and migrant community members. The workshop led to a series of questions, resulting from conversations from the workshop, put forward to Scottish Parliament on 11 July 2022. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
| Description | Policy impact workshop |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Policymakers/politicians |
| Results and Impact | Workshop included representatives from LAWRS, Newham Council, FCDO, Digital Marketing Association, Anti-Tribalism Movement, independent researchers, and members from academia were present and contributing, bringing together practitioners and policymakers from across our fieldsites. This workshop also provided an opportunity to follow-up on any resulting actions from the previous workshops in Cardiff and Glasgow. Resulting conversations leading to ongoing collaborations with IOM and data sharing in HE; Researching Marginalisation Through Zines workshop at Cambridge University; and on going dialogue with Newham Council and Newham Community Project. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
| Description | Presentation at the School of Oriental and African Studies webinar series 'COVID 19 & International Development.' |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Other audiences |
| Results and Impact | CoIs Anna Lindley and Laura Hammond gave a talk entitled 'Squeezed from Both Ends: COVID-19's Impact on Remittances in the Horn of Africa' stimulating discussion and questions. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2020 |
| Description | Project Website |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Engagement focused website, blog or social media channel |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Other audiences |
| Results and Impact | A project website was launched in early March 2021. It is designed to provide information about the project, disseminate key outputs and serve as a portal for engagement. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
| URL | https://www.qmul.ac.uk/geog/research/research-projects/connecting-during-covid/ |
| Description | Project blog |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Engagement focused website, blog or social media channel |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Study participants or study members |
| Results and Impact | Gabriela Loureiro published a blog, Exploring the intersections of domestic violence, migration and the COVID-19 pandemic with Latin America Women's Rights Service, In June 2021, posted on the project website. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
| Description | Project social media |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Engagement focused website, blog or social media channel |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Other audiences |
| Results and Impact | A project Facebook page, twitter and Instagram account have been set up to facilitate engagement and networking with key stakeholders and study participants. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
| Description | Seminar presentation |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Invitation to speak at the Centre for Household Assets and Savings Management, University of Birmingham Seminar Series. Talk delivered in June 2022 by K Datta, titled Debt, mobility and the pandemic: Migrants everyday lived experiences of precarity in Covid-UK. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
| Description | Seminar presentation |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Invitation to present at the Centre for Development and Emergency Practice, Oxford Brookes University. Talk was delivered by A Lindlay and entitled "UK residents' remittances through the pandemic: the question of resilience". |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
| Description | Seminar presentation at the Centre for Development and Emergency Practice, Oxford Brookes University, |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Other audiences |
| Results and Impact | CoI Anna Lindley presented a paper entitled 'The global ordering of remittance flows: formalisation, facilitation, funnelling and financialisation'. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2020 |
| Description | Workshop presentation, Crisis Prevention and Management Network, Queen Mary University of London |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Other audiences |
| Results and Impact | PI Kavita Datta delivered a presentation entitled 'Covid-19, migrant labour and remittance flows' to the Crisis Prevention and Management Network at Queen Mary University of London. The presentation sparked discussion about the intersections of migration and crisis, and the ways in which crisis are understood in multidisciplinary contexts. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2020 |