COVID-19 impact on Migration Statistics in the COMESA Region

The world is currently experiencing the COVID-19 pandemic. The spread of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) in Africa has been increasing at a fast pace since the first case was reported. Governments are implementing various strategies such as simple restrictions to lockdowns of cities and regions and curfew to contain the pandemic. All these strategies put in place are aimed to prevent exponential increase in the number of new cases due to community transmissions. The COMESA countries have also not been spared by this pandemic.

The report includes: 

Current situation of COVID-19 in COMESA Region

• COVID 19 Situation in the COMESA Region as at 12 May 2020
• Evolving COVID 19 trend in the COMESA region

Key Findings

• Main migration topics that are covered by country migration statistics
• Periodicity of migration statistics production by NSOs in the seven countries
• Main sources of data for producing migration statistics in the member states
• Data sources that can be affected by the coronavirus pandemic
• Countries having any major ongoing migration surveys / censuses that will be affected by the coronavirus crisis
• Possibility of using administrative data as an alternative for the affected surveys/censuses by the pandemic
• Use of estimation as a temporary solution to produce migration data