Population & Associated Issues

Migration is a truly global phenomenon, with movements both within nations and internationally across borders. As per the 2011 census, India had around 45 crore migrants in 2011 (38% of the population) compared to 31.5 crore migrants in 2001 (31% of the population). Migration in India has often been considered as an expression of the human aspiration for dignity, safety, and a better future due to its multidimensional nature as given below:

• Economic dimension: It includes factors like the labour market of a place, the employment situation, and the overall state of the economy. Favourable economic conditions at the destination and the desire to escape the domestic social and political situation of their home region can draw migrants to their destination.
• Socio-political dimension: Factors like family conflicts, the quest for independence, ethnic, religious, racial, and cultural parameters, political instability, warfare, or the threat of conflict in the area of origin contributes to migration.
• Ecological dimension: It includes environmental factors, such as climate change and the availability of natural resources etc. that cause individuals to migrate in search of more favourable ecological conditions.

These dimensions play a key role in deciding the pattern of internal migration in India. Apart from this, migration also has an inherent relationship with development, which is given below:

• Economic development:
  • Internal migration results in a more efficient allocation of human resources to sectors and regions where they are better utilized.
  • Migration boosts the working-age population. Migrants arrive with skills and contribute to human capital development of the receiving area.
  • Migration leads to economic development of both origin and destination areas. While migrants spend most of their wages in their destination areas, boosting demand there, they also tend to send money to support families back home.
• Socio-cultural development:
  • Migrants make the destination place more culturally diverse as they bring new languages, new foods, new religions, new styles of music etc.
  • The tendency to live among one’s own group is pronounced and responsible for establishing enclaves within cities. Enclaves offer advantages of community and social support, greater availability of ethnic goods and food, centres of worship and other community institutions.

Despite these development implications of migration, there are some issues, which compromise people’s aspiration for dignity, safety, and a better future as follows:

• Migrant workers at the destination area live in a deplorable condition, mostly in slums, open spaces, or makeshift shelter.
• Migration is perceived negatively, with locals fearing loss of jobs to migrants. This often leads to social tension and migrants face issues like xenophobia and discrimination and are subjected to harassment/violence in workplaces etc.
• Migration of women is associated with various kinds of exploitation like low wages, gender-based violence like trafficking, sexual exploitation, forced prostitution or forced marriage.
• Migrants are also deprived of their access to political participation as they stay away from their home and hence are unable to practice their voting rights leading to a concern of political voicelessness.

Like urbanization, migration is a trend and forms an integral part of economic development and social transformation. By dealing with and encouraging the diversity inherent in migration, development can be ensured for both the places of origin and the destination. So, there is an imperative need for a coherent and holistic migration policy in order to address the aforementioned challenges and reap the benefits of migration.