COVID-19: challenges faced by Nepalese migrants living in Japan

Divya Bhandari,Sudeepa Abeysinghe,Yasuhiro Kotera,Tetsuya Tanimoto,Makoto Kosaka,Akihiko Ozaki

doi:10.1186/s12889-021-10796-8

Abstract

BackgroundWorldwide, COVID-19 has exacerbated the vulnerability of migrants, impacting many facets of their lives. Nepalese make up one of the largest groups of migrants residing in Japan. Crises, such as the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic could disproportionately affect migrants from low- and middle-income countries like Nepal, widening health and economic inequalities. An in-depth, comprehensive assessment is needed to appraise the diverse problems they encounter. Drawing upon qualitative interviews, this study aimed to identify challenges faced by Nepalese migrants in Japan as a consequence of the COVID-19 pandemic and to discuss their needs to counter these challenges.MethodsThis qualitative study employed an interpretivist approach to appraise the first-hand experience of Nepalese migrants living in Japan. Fourteen participants (8 males and 6 females, aged 21 to 47 years old) were recruited to participate in semi-structured in-depth telephone interviews (45–60 min) regarding: (a) their perceived current physical and mental health, (b) problems faced as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, and (c) perception of available and necessary support structures. Purposive and snowball sampling techniques were used to recruit the participants. Interviews were recorded, transcribed, and thematically analyzed.ResultsSix themes were identified: 1) experiencing psychosomatic symptoms, 2) adoption of new healthy behaviors, 3) financial hardship, 4) family concerns, 5) reflections on discrimination and 6) reflections of existing support and expectations of support systems. The findings of our study illustrate the specific impact of COVID-19 among Nepalese migrants regarding their unstable employment conditions, perceived lack of social support, possible obligation to send money home, difficulty in accessing services due to the language barrier, and a lack of effective governmental support from Nepal. Pandemic-related adversity has negatively impacted migrants’ mental well-being, exacerbating their vulnerability.ConclusionsComprehensive and timely support should be provided to the vulnerable migrant population. Effective coordination among relevant parties in both countries, including the governments concerned, should be facilitated.

Highlights

Worldwide, COVID-19 has exacerbated the vulnerability of migrants, impacting many facets of their lives
Our analysis revealed challenges encountered by Nepalese citizens residents in Japan in different areas of their life including economic security, family life, mental health, and other related challenges
Our study was able to highlight the added and specific challenges of this crisis among international migrants (Nepalese citizens in Japan) owing to less stable employment conditions, lack of social support to deal with the emotional stress associated with pandemic-related crises, lack of social safety networks to rely upon in case of COVID-19 infection, problems of adjusting to life in Japan, obligations to send money to their families in Nepal, difficulty in accessing the available services and information due to the language barrier in the host country, and lack of effective governmental support/facilitation from Nepal

Summary

Introduction

COVID-19 has exacerbated the vulnerability of migrants, impacting many facets of their lives. Among other factors, living and working conditions [7], cultural and language barriers [8, 9], limited local knowledge, poor social networks [10], and xenophobia [10], all limit the ability of migrant populations to avoid infection, receive adequate health care, and cope with the economic, social, and psychological impacts of the pandemic [11]. They are likely to encounter a double burden related to the risk of infection and the lack of resources when they become infected. Preventive behavior, such as physical distancing, may not be possible for migrants living in crowded living conditions, making them even more at risk of SARSCoV-2 infection [18]

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