Addressing irregularity and combating vulnerabilities: regularisation programmes implemented during and as a result of COVID-19

Irregular migrants are particularly vulnerable in times of crisis. Underlying shortcomings in the domains of public health, migration policy and labour regulation leave them with a limited safety net. The COVID-19 pandemic rendered visible both the exclusionary nature of those policies which limit access to fundamental rights and decent work, as well as the multiple layers of vulnerabilities suffered by undocumented migrant women who are largely represented in the domestic, care and agricultural sectors. Aside from extending access to financial and welfare support, States opted to extend the immigration status of those at risk of becoming undocumented, or regularised those already in an irregular situation. Whilst traditionally contested measures, several regularisations were implemented to address matters of protection and fill gaps in labour shortages resulting from the pandemic. Focusing on measures from five countries across three continents, this chapter examines whether they were effective in addressing arising vulnerabilities, particularly those of undocumented migrant women, to derive policy learnings.