Migrants' Agency and Mobilisation in Times of Crisis: London's Latin American Community Navigating the Impact of Covid-19

This discussion paper contributes to the understanding of how migrants collectively organise to cope with new crises by examining how London's Latin American community mobilised to address the impact of Covid-19. We draw on fieldwork conducted between June 2020 and June 2023 for three projects: (1) a doctoral study exploring the experiences of 51 Colombian parents who onward migrated from Spain to London after the 2008 crisis; (2) a participatory research project on the impact of Covid-19 and Brexit on 73 Latin Americans in London; and (3) a mixed-methods evaluation of an initiative established by a London-based Latin American charity during the peak of the pandemic to reduce barriers to healthcare. We identified three main types of Latin American-led community responses to mitigate the impact of the pandemic: (1) the re-adaptation of existing services provided by Latin American charities to meet community needs during and post-Covid-19; (2) the formation of new voluntary groups to address the immediate and short-term impacts of the pandemic; and (3) the mobilisation of advocacy groups and researchers to raise awareness about the inequalities faced by Latin Americans during Covid-19. Ultimately, this paper demonstrates that new crises (re)produce both vulnerability and agency among migrant communities and highlights the key role that migrant-led community groups play in supporting migrants to access their rights in crisis situations. We conclude by emphasising the need to re-conceptualise migrants as both being positioned at the receiving end of crises and as agentic shapers of crises and their outcomes.