Gaps in protection are situations in which States fail to protect migrants from human rights violations, explains Helena Olea, associate director for programs at Alianza Americas.

“The COVID-19 pandemic has really put in the spotlight those situations of most concern,” she says. When individuals are unable to be tested for the coronavirus because of their migratory status, when a worker is fired and is unable to claim the wages for his work, when a family facing difficult time is unable to seek food assistance, “there is no doubt that we are in the midst of a profound crisis.”

The problem we need to address is twofold, says Olea. On the one hand, we must respond to migrants’ most pressing needs during the pandemic. At the same time, we also need to address the structural conditions and legal frameworks that have led to these issues and that our current crisis has highlighted.