Migration policies during COVID-19: A comparative study of Thailand and the United States
With a few notable exceptions, systematic comparative analyses of how the COVID-19 pandemic affected migration-related policies remain limited. This documentary study examines how the COVID-19 pandemic shaped migration-related travel restrictions and mobility policies, with a comparative focus on Thailand and the United States. This article begins by examining shifts in global migration policy during the pandemic. Then it focuses on Thailand and the United States as a comparative case study. Thailand adopted a more conservative approach to the pandemic, resulting in a low cumulative number of reported cases and a relatively low initial infection rate. Conversely, the United States took a more liberal stance and experienced both high infection rates and the highest number of recorded COVID-19 cases. The findings suggest that migration policy shifted according to the severity of the pandemic. Most countries initially imposed strict travel restrictions because of the perceived severity and mortality risk of COVID-19; however, as vaccination efforts progressed and the number of COVID-related fatalities decreased, many nations began to loosen their regulations. This article contributes to our current understanding of migration policy by showing that, even in response to a shared crisis, governments may pursue different strategies that produce divergent outcomes. In the case of another pandemic, the results of this research will aid in determining future paths for international migration policy.
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