The phenomenon of Migration

• Migration is the movement of people away from their usual place of residence, across either internal (within country) or international (across countries) borders.
• As per the Census 2011, India had 45.6 crore migrants in 2011 (38% of the population) compared to 31.5 crore migrants in 2001 (31% of the population).
• Between 2001 and 2011, while population grew by 18%, the number of migrants increased by 45%.
• In 2011, 99% of total migration was internal and immigrants (international migrants) comprised 1%.

Patterns of migration

• Internal migrant flows can be classified on the basis of origin and destination.
• One kind of classification is: i) rural-rural, ii) rural-urban, iii) urban-rural and iv) urban-urban.
• As per the 2011 census, there were 21 crore rural-rural migrants which formed 54% of classifiable internal migration.
• Rural-urban and urban-urban movement accounted for around 8 crore migrants each.
• There were around 3 crore urban-rural migrants (7% of classifiable internal migration).
• Another way to classify migration is: (i) intra-state, and (ii) inter-state.
• In 2011, intra-state movement accounted for almost 88% of all internal migration (39.6 crore persons).
• According to the 2011 Census, there were 5.4 crore inter-state migrants.
• As of 2011, Uttar Pradesh and Bihar were the largest source of inter-state migrants while Maharashtra and Delhi were the largest receiver states.

Inter-state Migration (in lakh)

Note: A Net out-migrant state is one where more people migrate out of the state than those that migrate into the state.  Net in-migration is the excess of incoming migrants over out-going migrants.

Reasons for internal migration and size of migrant labour force

• As of 2011, majority (70%) of intra-state migration was due to reasons of marriage and family.
• While 83% of females moved for marriage and family, the corresponding figure for males was 39%.
• Overall, 8% of people moved within a state for work (21% of male migrants and 2% of female migrants).
• Movement for work was higher among inter-state migrants– 50% of male and 5% of female inter-state migrants.

Reasons for intra-state migration 

Reasons for inter-state migration 

Scope for Higher numbers

• According to the Economic survey, 2016-17, Census data underestimates temporary migrant labour movement.
• In 2007-08, the NSSO estimated the size of India’s migrant labour at 7 crore (29% of the workforce).
• The Economic Survey, 2016-17, estimated 6 crore inter-state labour migrants between 2001-2011.
• The Economic Survey also estimated that in each year between 2011-2016, on average 90 lakh people travelled for work.

Issues faced by migrant labour

People migrating for work face key challenges including:

Poor implementation of protections under the Inter-State Migrant Workmen Act, 1979 (ISMW Act)

• The ISMW Act provides certain protections for inter-state migrant workers.
• Labour contractors recruiting migrants are required to: (i) be licensed, (ii) register migrant workers with the government authorities, and (iii) arrange for the worker to be issued a passbook recording their identity.
• Guidelines regarding wages and protections (including accommodation, free medical facilities, protective clothing) to be provided by the contractor are also outlined in the law.
• In December 2011, a report by the Standing Committee on Labour observed that registration of workers under the ISMW Act was low and implementation of protections outlined in the Act was poor.  
• The report concluded that the Central government had not made any concrete and fruitful efforts to ensure that contractors and employers mandatorily register the workers employed with them enabling access to benefits under the Act.  

Lack of portability of benefits

• Migrants registered to claim access to benefits at one location lose access upon migration to a different location.
• This is especially true of access to entitlements under the PDS.
• Ration card required to access benefits under the PDS is issued by state governments and is not portable across states.
• This system excludes inter-state migrants from the PDS unless they surrender their card from the home state and get a new one from the host state.

Lack of affordable housing and basic amenities in urban areas

• The proportion of migrants in urban population is 47%.
• In 2015, the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs identified migrants in urban areas as the largest population needing housing in cities.
• The Prime Minister Awaas Yojana (PMAY) is a central government scheme to help the economically weaker section and low-income group access housing.
• Assistance under the scheme includes:  i) slum rehabilitation, ii) subsidised credit for home loans, iii) subsidies up to Rs 1.5 lakh to either construct a new house or enhance existing houses on their own and iv) increasing availability of affordable housing units in partnership with the private sector.
• Since housing is a state subject, there is variation in approach of States towards affordable housing.

Steps taken by the government with regard to migrant labour during the lockdown

Measures taken by the government to aid migrants include-

Transport:

• On March 28, the central government authorised states to use the State Disaster Response Fund to provide accommodation to traveling migrants.
• States were advised to set up relief camps along highways with medical facilities to ensure people stay in these camps while the lock down is in place.
• On April 29, the Ministry of Home Affairs allowed states to co-ordinate individually to transport migrants using buses.  
• On May 1, the Indian Railways resumed passenger movement with Shramik Special trains to facilitate movement of migrants stranded outside their home state.  
• Between May 1 and June 3, Indian Railways operated 4,197 Shramik trains transporting more than 58 lakh migrants.  

Food distribution:  

• On April 1, the Ministry of Health and Family Affairs directed state governments to operate relief camps for migrant workers with arrangements for food, sanitation and medical services.
• On May 14, under the 2nd Tranche of Atma Nirbhar Bharat Abhiyaan, the Finance Minister announced that free food grains would be provided to migrant workers who do not have a ration card for two months.
• The measure is expected to benefit 8 crore migrant workers and their families.
• The Finance Minister also announced that One Nation One Ration card will be implemented by March 2021, to provide portable benefits under the PDS.

Housing:

• The Aatma Nirbhar Bharat Abhiyaan also launched a scheme for Affordable Rental Housing Complexes for Migrant Workers and Urban Poor to provide affordable rental housing units under PMAY.
• The scheme proposes to use existing housing stock under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Housing Mission (JnNURM) as well as incentivise public and private agencies to construct new affordable units for rent.
• Further, additional funds have been allocated for the credit linked subsidy scheme under PMAY for middle income group.

Financial aid:

• Some state governments (like Bihar, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh) announced one-time cash transfers for returning migrant workers.
• Example: UP government announced provision of maintenance allowance of Rs 1,000 for returning migrants.

Directions by the Supreme Court