Migrants globally have been severely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Border closures and restrictions on movement have partially or completely halted labour migration, impacting the flow of remittances that migrants send home.

In November 2020, IOM Niger conducted a study in 5 regions – Agadez, Maradi, Niamey, Tahoua, Zinder examining the socio-economic impact of COVID-19 on free movement, migrant remittances and the well-being of migrant households, families and communities in Niger.

The key findings of the study are:

• 99% of migrant households experienced a negative change in their well-being as a result of COVID-19

• 73% of migrant households reported a reduced amount in remittances.

• 69% of migrant households reported a decrease in the frequency of remittances.

• 32% of migrant households reported reduced household spending on food, including quantity and quality of food.

• 24% of migrant households reported reduced overall economic well-being.

• 16% of migrant households reported reduced spending on healthcare, including medication and hospitalization.

In addition to helping migrant families during hard times, remittances contribute to the development of migrant communities of origin through the creation of small businesses and economic activities that generate jobs in the community.

As a community member from Tahoua described, the ability for people to migrate and transmit funds to their families have made concrete changes within the community:

“Because of remittances, you now see large businesses for woodwork, metalwork, and carpentry. Others [migrants] return with skills of masonry. Today we have people employing 30 to 40 people after creating these workshops.”

The resulting loss of jobs or reduced work due to the pandemic has directly affected remittance flows and, in turn, negatively impacted the socio-economic well-being of migrant households in Niger who are already struggling with chronic food insecurity, poverty, and increasingly violence and conflict.

“These types of studies are important for policy makers at local and national level to better understand how migration impacts the communities of origin. With this data, IOM and its partners can better respond to the needs of migrants and communities of origin and mitigate sudden impacts like what we have seen in the last year. We are grateful to the ECOWAS commission and the European Union who have supported this study through the Free Movement of persons and Migration in West Africa (FMM) project”, said Barbara Rijks, Chief of Mission for IOM in Niger.