Essays on the legacy of COVID-19: Economic Challenges, Migration Dynamics, and Democracy in a New Era

4.1 Million Migrants, recites a front page article of The Washington Post on June 26, 2024, referring to the number of immigration court records in the United States in the past decade. If it were the population of a city, it would the 2nd largest of the country, just after New York City. The WP is interesting because it highlights the massive shift in migration after the COVID-19 pandemic. In fact, more records were found during the 2021-2024 period than in previous years. Second, nationality-wise, the share of migrants from Central America and Mexico have dwindled; giving raise to migrants that increasingly come from farther away places, like Haiti, or even China. And third, it highlights the indelible liaison that exists between migration and current politics. How exactly do these issues talk to each other? This dissertation examines the intersection of these phenomena through three distinct studies. In summary, first, we find that the Covid-19 infection was detrimental for household finances in developed economies. And in many cases, these issues have continued to persist until present day. Second, we find that there is a connection between hunger and migration during the pandemic, mean- ing that heightened food insecurity might be correlated with the current migrant waves in the Southern US border. And third, given the growing political importance of migrants in host countries, we find that populist govern- ments may experience a backlash stemming from these very groups. In particular, we see that, under certain circumstances, migrant groups react against anti-immigrant rhetoric by becoming citizens and actively participating in democratic elections. Our research calls for cooperative efforts on policies on disaster preparedness, food security and migration. The papers presented in this dissertation turn our attention to the lingering impact of COVID-induced poverty and hunger on migration intentions, shedding light on the evolving nature of migration patterns in the face of new crises like inflation and climate change. By this logic, we invite concerted efforts from governments, international actors, and non-governmental organizations to invest in preparedness to tackle the threat of food insecurity arising from future shocks. These efforts, besides their normative nature, could be key instruments in mitigating issues deriving from poverty-driven migration.