Migrants’ Vulnerabilities and Their Responses to the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Case Study of Mobile Shoe Shine Boys in the Cape Coast Metropolis

Abstract Covid-19 pandemic has impacted socio-economic activities in sub-Saharan Africa and Ghana for that matter. Occupations in the informal sector such as shoe-shine business have been affected by the disease outbreak. This paper focuses on migrant vulnerabilities and their responses to Covid-19 with a specific focus on shoe-shine boys in Cape Coast Metropolis. The study is guided by the IOM determinants of migrant vulnerability model, empirical review on the shoe-shine business and conceptual framework on shoe-shine business within the informal sector. Using an interview guide, ten shoe-shine boys were interviewed in the Cape Coast Metropolis. Their responses were transcribed and a content analysis was employed to analyze the data. The main challenges caused by Covid-19 were the reduction in income, decrease in customer base and changes in the nature of work. The study concluded that the irregular nature of the shoe-shine business exacerbated the impact of the covid-19 on the occupation but individual coping strategies were key in ensuring the sustainability of the occupation.