Table 1.
Summary of policies impacting migrants access to COVID-19 vaccines until June 2021.
| Legal Processes to regularize Migration | Access to COVID-19 Vaccination | Other country-specific dynamics | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Argentina (Dirección Nacional de Migraciones, 2020; Dirección Nacional de Migraciones, 2021; Ministerio de Salud 2020; Dirección Nacional de Migraciones, 2004) | Disposition 1904/2020 "Certificado Electrónico de Residencia Precaria" (Electronic Certificate of Precarious Residence). Online system that allows migrants from Mercosur countries with irregular status to apply for a precarious residency certificate. Disposition 673/2021: Extends temporary, transitory, or precarious residency that expired after mid-March 2020. | The vaccination plan applies independent of migratory status, meaning it is available to migrants with regular or irregular status. According to the "Plan Estratégico de Vacunación contra Covid-19 (Resolución 2883/2020)" (Strategic Plan for Covid-19 Vaccination), once high-priority groups are vaccinated (health care workers, armed forces, teachers, older adults, and adults with chronic conditions), prioritization of vaccines will be based on social vulnerability criterion, including migration status. | Migratory Law No. 25.871 (Article 8): Health care and/or social assistance cannot be denied based on migration status. |
| Brazil (Peduzzi, 2021; Presidência da República Secretaria-Geral, Subchefia para Assuntos Jurídicos, and Presidência da República 2021; Ministério da Saúde, 2021; Secretaria Extraordinária de Enfrentamento à COVID-19 May, 2021) | "Operação Acolhida" (Operation Welcome): A humanitarian response to mass migration from Venezuela. With support from UN agencies and civil society organizations, provides services such as shelters, support with registration and documentation for migrants and refugees in the northern states of Roraima and Amazonas. Law No. 13.445: Waives fees for humanitarian visas and recognizes identity documents (residency permits and asylum applications) that expired after March 2020. | Vaccination plan includes all people in Brazil, but migrants are not mentioned in the priority list, and the vaccination guidelines do not instruct migrants with irregular status on how to access vaccines. While “Sistema Único de Saúde” (SUS) (Unified Health System) provides health coverage (including access to COVID-19 vaccination) regardless of migratory status, the government recommends proof of "Cadastro de Pessoas Físicas" (CPF) (Naturalized Persons Registry) or "Cartão Nacional de Saüde" (CNS) (National Health Card) to access COVID-19 vaccines. | Law N° 13.445: Grants access to health and social services regardless of nationality or migration status. Migrants can apply for a “Cadastro de Pessoas Físicas” (CPF) (Naturalized Persons Registry) for free, which grants access to health care (including vaccination) through “Sistema Único de Saúde” (SUS) (Unified Health System). |
| Chile (Vargas, 2021; Andina, 2021; Departamento Inmunizaciones DIPRECE, 2021; Ministerio de Salud, 2021; Ministerio de Salud, 2021; Ministerio del Interior y Seguridad Pública, 2021) | Law No. 21.325: Migrants with irregular status who arrived prior to March 18, 2021, can apply for a temporary visa. Those who entered “illegally” can self-report to police and receive "Fonasa A" status, granting access to health care, including COVID-19 vaccination. | Ministry of Health vaccination policy grants access to COVID-19 vaccination regardless of migratory status; requires ID documents (e.g., passport, FONASA card, ID from country-of-origin, etc.). However, the vaccination plan explicitly excludes people with a transitory visa. Vaccination guidelines contain no information about inclusion of migrants in vaccination plan. | Law No. 21.235 also facilitates deportation of migrants with irregular status. Contradictions between Ministry of Health and Ministry of Foreign Affairs policies and rhetoric have produced confusion surrounding vaccine eligibility for migrants with irregular status. |
| Colombia (Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores 2021; Ministerio de Salud y Protección Social, 2021) | Decree No. 216–2021: Facilitates regularization of migrants with irregular status who arrived prior to January 31, 2021. Requires multiple valid or expired ID. | Vaccination plan grants resident migrants access to vaccines through the Sistema General de Seguridad Social en Salud (Ministry of Health and Social Protection) or by registering with 'Migration Colombia'. Migrants with irregular status must be approved for the Estatuto Temporal de Protección para Migrantes. (Temporary Protection Status for Migrants) | Government has defended its decision to exclude migrants with irregular status from vaccination, stating this would lead to a 'stampede' of migrants. |
| Ecuador (Guerra, 2021; Ecuador, 2020; Jumbo, 2021; El Universo, 2020) | Decree No. 826 (July 25, 2019, to August 13, 2020): Expedites online visa applications, including the VERHU humanitarian visa. Migrants must provide documentation to apply and pay 50 USD. On June 17, 2021, President Guillermo Lasso announced a new regularization plan for Venezuelan migrants, but details are not yet available as of June 18, 2021. | Ministry of Health COVID-19 vaccination is updated regularly, including details of the groups eligible for vaccination. Migrants are included in the third of four phases of the national vaccination plan "9/100″. The third phase is expected to occur from July 15th to August 30th, 2021. Migrants who have not legalized their migratory status can register with the help of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in Ecuador to get vaccinated. | June 14, 2021: Vice-Minister of Governance and Health Surveillance stated that vaccination clinics were instructed to ensure Venezuelan migrants with chronic conditions or living in vulnerable situations are included in the "9/100″ vaccine strategy. |
| Peru (Presidencia de la República, 2020; Ministerio de Salud, 2021; Superintendencia Nacional de Migraciones, 2021) | Decreto Supremo 010–2020-IN: Expedites regularization of migrants with irregular status who arrived prior to October 20, 2020. Requires a current passport or other international travel documents. | Health policy N°133 includes non-Peruvians in vaccination plan, which includes resident migrants but does not mention migrants with irregular status. Migrants with irregular status are instructed to update their information online through the Padrón Nacional de Vacunación Universal (National Register for Universal Vaccination) | Migrants are mentioned in health policies and vaccination plans but migrants with irregular status are not. Health care providers can determine whether to vaccinate migrants with irregular status. |
Note: Gray shading indicates specific examples for Venezuelan migrants. .