a person sleeping on a bench with suitcasesOur Danish member Kirkens Korshaer has released a report looking into the ways homeless migrants in the country experienced the COVID pandemic and the subsequent lockdowns.

Highlights from the publication include:

  • People do have a significant fear of contracting the virus
  • Kirkens Korshaer proved to be a trusted source of information about the situation and many relied on our service for this reason
  • Formal and informal work has been severely affected and people’s income has reduced drastically, intensifying their worries about the future
  • Extended opening of emergency shelters has had (and would have) a positive impact on people’s wellbeing during lockdown
  • Still a dependency for our target group on the few shelters (day and night) that are available, though improved coordination and collaboration is still required to disseminate information and keep people safe.

The report concludes with four recommendations:

  • Provision of clear and relevant information regarding developments in Denmark, made easily accessible and in multiple languages
  • Coordination of services so as to provide for basic needs all throughout the day
  • Opening of day shelter for longer hours
  • Opening of quarantine sites where people who await test results can be housed, even if they do not have Danish CPR registration

 

For more information, please read the full report.