Many refugees in Asia at risk

HUNDREDS of thousands of refugees living in precarious conditions across Asia are particularly vulnerable to the Covid-19 outbreak, with border closures raising the risk of their forced repatriation, human rights groups said.

Refugees and stateless people in camps are among the hardest hit as they are confined to restricted spaces with few amenities and limited access to healthcare, said Themba Lewis, secretary-general of the charity Asia Pacific Refugee Rights Network (APRRN).