Covid-19 has heightened vulnerabilities for slum dwellers in cities across the global south. In African metropolises such as Lagos, Nigeria – slum dwellers represent part of the vulnerable groups bearing the brunt of the current health crisis. More specifically, the pandemic has brought worsened realities for displaced urban slum populations who have historically been victims of forced evictions, carried out by the city government to meet overly ambitious development agendas. Undoubtedly, forced evictions (inclusive of those carried out before & during the pandemic) have left displaced urban slum dwellers homeless and in inhumane living conditions. These increasing realities have made them more susceptible to risks associated with the virus. In unprecedented times such as this, it is therefore crucial, more so than ever before, that the existing legal framework (though fragmented) should be fully utilized, to afford Urban IDPs, legal protections they so desperately need. In advancing these protections, democratic institutions such as the Courts play an important role by giving holistic interpretations to basic rights contained in extant laws such as the Constitution, as well as handing down bold, definitive and enforceable orders. This brief seeks to evaluate the situation of displaced urban slum populations in Lagos, in the era of Covid-19, a critique of the existing legal framework and the government’s response to the plights of Urban IDPs. Lastly, it shares how advocacy efforts such as public interest litigation can aid in preserving the rights of Urban IDPs even in this period.
By Ryan Mitra | Jun 24, 2026
This insightful blog examines how internally displaced persons (IDPs) in India are disenfranchised from voting and participating fully in civic life. Widespread failure to recognise people’s displacement status and circumstances shifts many of the burdens of proving identity, residence and voter eligibility onto the shoulders of already traumatised people. IDPs fleeing disasters, conflict or communal violence may have lost their homes and documentation, crossed state boundaries and taken refuge in regions where their native languages are not spoken. Digital access challenges and bureaucratic inefficiencies place the burden of administrative adaptation on those least able to bear it. Too many IDPs are thereby excluded from voter lists.
Though India records large numbers of new disaster displacements every year, it does not maintain a consolidated national displacement database. Such a database, the author argues, would ensure the voting and other rights of internally displaced persons are protected while providing a much-needed tool for monitoring whether IDPs are progressing toward durable solutions.