A/76/257 20. In the meantime, the pandemic has unveiled systemic inequalities, including those affecting mostly migrants. Some measures adopted by Governments to contain the pandemic further exposed existing human rights and governance deficits and exacerbated the vulnerabilities of those in low socioeconomic status, including migrants. 21. Migrants and their families, especially those already in vulnerable situations, have been disproportionally affected by the pandemic owing to three interrelating factors that have exacerbated existing vulnerabilities. First, many migrants and people on the move endure a low socioeconomic status. They live in pr ecarious conditions and have limited access to health care and other essential services. Second, they often work in the informal economy, with unfavourable conditions of work and limited access to social protection systems, and are more exposed to exploitation, in particular women and girls. Third, in the absence of effective and adequate protection measures, some asylum seekers face barriers in gaining access to asylum procedures and risk being sent to places where they may be subject to persecution and ot her irreparable harm; and some migrants have been forcibly returned to their countries of origin, where they might not enjoy adequate health systems. 4 22. Due to the pandemic, States have faced a multiplicity of exceptional challenges that have tested their capacity to respond to them, in particular in the health and socioeconomic sector. Through the call for inputs, the Special Rapporteur received information indicating that, despite the circumstances, a number of countries have taken affirmative steps to mitigate the negative impact of the pandemic, implement a human rights approach and include migrants in COVID-19-related responses and recovery efforts. B. Severe impact on the human rights of migrants 23. Migrants, including asylum seekers, have been disproportionally affected by restrictions and measures taken by public and private actors in the context of the pandemic. Migrants, especially those who are undocumented or in an irregular situation, are often in a state of particular vulnerability conc erning the enjoyment of their human rights. Disruptions and delays in immigration and asylum procedures, closures of borders, lock-downs, restrictions in the freedom of movement and other emergency measures, together with their pre-existing vulnerabilities, such as lack of access to health care and other essential services, poor living conditions, precarious and unsafe working conditions, as well as discrimination, racism and xenophobia, have had negative impacts on migrants’ ability to exercise their right s and exacerbated existing inequalities. Restrictions of movement, disruptions and delays in immigration and asylum procedures 24. The closure of borders and movement restrictions in an effort to contain COVID-19 transmission have not always prioritized the protection of the most vulnerable. By February 2021, 144 States had closed their borders or had restricted access to their territory, 5 over 60 of which had made no exemptions for those seeking asylum. 6 Globally, a drop of 33 per cent of applications was registered in the first half __________________ 4 5 6 21-10577 See https://unsdg.un.org/sites/default/files/2020-06/SG-Policy-Brief-on-People-on-the-Move.pdf. See https://reporting.unhcr.org/sites/default/files/UNHCR%20COVID -19%20appeal%202%20 pager%20-%2017%20February%202021.pdf. See www.un.org/ruleoflaw/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/UN-SG-Policy-Brief-Human-Rightsand-COVID-23-April-2020.pdf. 5/22