Practices by Stakeholder 2

Temporary relaxation of immigration procedures

Crises may have disrupted normal immigration processes and affected migrants’ ability to receive or renew visas or otherwise maintain a regular immigration status. Migrants or their employers may have lost identity documents, visas, or other paperwork during a crisis, or such documents may have been destroyed as a consequence of the crisis. Temporary relief for migrants and their employers include:

• Lifting enforcement of sanctions for employers or migrants who are unable to produce work permits or other documents as a result of the crisis;
• Allowing migrants to apply for temporary measures, such as an extension of regular immigration status even if the application was filed after the status had expired;
• Extending deadlines for regularization and rescheduling appointments;
• Extending humanitarian status for migrants previously granted this status;
• Expediting adjudication of employment authorization applications;
• Issuing work authorizations for student visa holders experiencing severe economic hardship;
• Replacing documents on an expedited basis, including to ease access to recovery assistance;
• Allowing fee waivers in relevant situations.

Engagement of migrants in local recovery and reconstruction

The engagement of migrants in post-crisis recovery efforts has several benefits: supporting migrants in the restoration of financial losses or related compensation, facilitating the reconstruction process, creating conditions for stronger future inclusion of migrants in crisis planning and preparedness, and filling any labor market gaps resulting from the crisis. It can be problematic, however, if conditions are unsafe and migrants are hired because citizens are unwilling to work under these conditions. Measures to ensure migrants are safely included in recovery programs include:

• Improving the understanding and awareness of migrants’ contributions to the socioeconomic vitality and resilience of host communities;
• Facilitating the re-entry of migrants who had to be evacuated during the crisis and are willing to return, including through multiple entry visas;
• Incorporating labor migration in post-crisis recovery programs;
• Extending or renewing on a timely basis expired visas or visas nearing expiration for migrants who stayed during the crisis;
• Monitoring working conditions to help ensure the safety of migrants engaged in recovery efforts.

Access to reconstruction and recovery assistance without discrimination

States that have experienced crises may offer recovery assistance to individuals who have suffered losses, either with their own resources or in conjunction with international financial institutions or other organizations. Shelter support, loans, housing replacement, and other reconstruction services created for citizens can also be made available to migrants, in particular those who are long-term or permanent residents, or who will contribute to reconstruction and economic recovery in the communities affected by the crisis.

Access to remedies to recover lost property or assets

As a consequence of a crisis, migrants may lose assets or property, including outstanding wages. Migrants may have legitimate legal claims to recover their assets or property, but if migrants have left the host State, they may not have direct access to redress mechanisms. Factors to consider in assisting migrants to recover assets and property include:

• Establishing administrative processes to examine claims for recovery of assets and property, including outstanding wages from migrants who are no longer resident in the host State;
• Providing assistance, including legal support, to migrants to inform them of their rights and to help them negotiate the systems in place for recovering assets and property;
• Mandating employers to transfer outstanding wages to migrants who have left the host State.