GRSJ224/COVID-19 Stopping Borders

COVID-19 has the potential to not only bring down entire economies, create new polices, but also to create new borders that can affect immigration in the near future. This global pandemic has no telling and only time will tell what happens.

What is COVID-19

COVID-19 is the name given to the certain type of coronavirus that first developed in Wuhan, China in December of 2019 and the name was provided by the WHO. Covid-19 is related to a previous virus outbreak referred to as SARS. Coronaviruses are a large family of viruses that have the potential to make humans and animals ill. Coronaviruses are known to cause respiratory infections in humans and can even cause death. COVID-19 is transmitted through contact with respiratory droplets rather than through the air. If someone infected sneezes or coughs and their respiratory droplets land on a surface, someone that touches that surface then touches their eyes, nose, or mouth will become infected. Disposable masks are only useful in preventing the spreading of the virus if one is already infected. This is why washing hands and staying at least one metre away from people that are coughing and sneezing is very important. Antibiotics do not help treat viruses and there is no vaccine produced at this stage.

Border Closures

To date, the virus has infected more than 1,300,000 people and lead to over 70,000 deaths, in more than 81 countries, as of March 11, 2020. The virus has negatively affected the global travel industry as airlines have cancelled flights to and from China which has impacted travellers and economies. The WHO is advising the EU to not implement a temporary border closure as it will be ineffective at preventing the spread of the virus and will make it more difficult to track those that are infected. Closing borders can have negative effects on the economy. As countries have closed their borders to China, the global supply chain has been negatively impacted. In the short term, it may be likely that the EU will close external borders, that is closing the borders to non-EU members, as it won't hurt their economies as much as closing borders to every country. So far, the most affected countries by COVID-19 are China, Iran, and Northern italy. Many refugees and asylum seekers from Iran and neighbouring countries are at high risk of infection due to geographical mobility and lack of sanitation. This could lead to far-right parties in the EU to use coronavirus as a means to try and change the immigration policies to prevent refugees and asylum seekers from the middle east from entering.

China

COVID-19 began in Wuhan, China. Since then, airlines from all over the world have suspended flights into China. It is almost like China has a closed border to all other countries. Getting in and out of China may be difficult for travellers and migrants. This suspension to China will impact the global supply chain as many companies from around the world rely on factories located in China to manufacture their goods.This border effect is expected to have negative effects and will show in a drop in GDP.People are being quarantined and restricted to leaving/entering the country.

Iran & The Middle East

The coronavirus has affected Iran immensely. They have been one of the most impacted nations from the virus. Members of their parliament have been infected and changes to their government could be upcoming due to this virus. Many asylum seekers come from Iran and its surrounding countries such as Syria. Countries in Europe, such as Hungary and Greece have used the coronavirus as a means to suspend asylum rights into their country.This puts asylum seekers and refugees in a serious problem as they now have to seek asylum in other countries which could become more and more difficult due to the coronavirus.

Europe

Europe has seen a surge in infected persons in clusters, for instance in northern Italy. As of March 9, 2020, Italy has closed its borders and has placed the entire country in lockdown. Italy is the most affected country outside of China. As of March 11, 2020, President Trump has cancelled all flights from the U.S. to Europe, including the UK and Ireland. As of March 14, 2020, Spain has implemented a national lockdown where they have closed their borders and no one is allowed in or out of the country. It seems as if Europe as a whole is being quarantined and people are unable to move in or out of many countries in Europe. Several countries have implemented a temporary border closure to try and prevent the spreading of the virus. Many politicians and leaders may try to use coronavirus as a way to prevent migrants and asylum seekers. Europe experienced a migration crisis in 2015 which far-right party members did not like. This virus could spark some political changes to prevent that from happening again.

United States

The United States of America have suspended all flights from Europe.

Canada

As of March 16, 2020, Trudeau has decided to close Canada's borders to every country including the U.S.

The Economic Impact

The impact that the coronavirus can have on the global economy is massive. Many countries are currently bracing for the downfall of their economies and are taking extra precautions. It is too soon to know the overall economic effects that COVID-19 will have on the global economy. As the U.S. has the biggest and most influential economy, there are potential spill over effects that can occur if the U.S. economy is hit. According to a post in the CNN, Gad Levanon believes there are two possible situations the U.S. economy will face and those depend on whether or not the virus will be contained within the next few weeks or if it will continue to get worse.