A million migrations: Journeys in search of jobs

A million migrations: Journeys in search of jobs

Article

The article discusses the characteristics, reasons and impact of migration for work in India

Important analysis

Statistics

• According to Economic Survey (2016-17), there are more than 100 million migrants in India

Characteristics of migration for work in India

1. Migration for work within India is highly circular. Circular migration is temporary and recurrent movement of people working in multiple destinations during their lifetimes, and retiring in their native places.
2. Indian migration is semi-permanent, male-dominated, and remittance-based migration
3. Apart from circular migration due to work, other reasons for migration include marriage, education, job transfers, and involuntary displacements
4. Migration was east-bound in the 19^thcentury towards Bengal, Burma, and Southeast Asia; west-bound in the 20^thtowards the arc between Punjab and Maharashtra; and primarily south-bound in the 21^st century.
5. Previously migration was directed towards commercial hubs and metros such as Kolkata and Mumbai. However, at present smaller cities like Surat have emerged as lucrative destinations for migration.
6. Coastal belt below Mumbai, till kanyakumari is one of India’s major hotspots of outmigration with migration primarily directed towards the Gulf countries.

Positive Impact:

1. Circular migrants gaps in demand for and supply of labour; and efficiently allocates skilled and unskilled labour; cheap labour.
2. Migration for work provides remittances to households in the areas of origin; increases consumer expenditure and investment in health, education and assets formation
3. Migration leads to intermixing of people from different cultures which brings up a composite culture among the people

Concerns:

1. Migration has changed the characteristics of the population in regions of out migration and in-migration-the proportion of old, children and females increases due to out- migration in source region (example- Ratagiri) and proportion of males increase in regions of in-migration (example-Surat)
2. According to the Economic Survey 2017-18, with growing rural to urban migration by men, there has been ‘feminisation’ of agriculture sector
3. Lack of access to social security benefits among migrant workers