More than 2.7 million migrants wishing to return home have become stranded abroad because of the coronavirus pandemic, the UN said on Friday, urging international action to address the crisis.

"The scope and subsequent enforcement of tens of thousands of mobility restrictions, including border closures and nationwide lockdowns related to COVID-19, requires states to reach out to their neighbors and to migrants' countries of origin to address their needs and vulnerabilities," said the head of the UN's International Organization for Migration, Antonio Vitorino.