{"id":3473,"date":"2019-06-24T22:19:58","date_gmt":"2019-06-24T16:49:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/triumphias.com\/blog\/?p=3473"},"modified":"2019-06-26T18:49:07","modified_gmt":"2019-06-26T13:19:07","slug":"addressing-the-needs-of-migrant-workers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/triumphias.com\/blog\/addressing-the-needs-of-migrant-workers\/","title":{"rendered":"Addressing the needs of Migrant workers:"},"content":{"rendered":"

Migration: <\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Since the earliest times, humanity has been on the move. Some people move in search of labour or economic opportunities, to join family, or to study. Others move to escape conflict, persecution, terrorism, or human rights violations. Still others move in response to the adverse effects of climate change, natural disasters, or other environmental factors.<\/span><\/p>\n

While many individuals migrate out of choice, many others migrate out of necessity. There are approximately 68 million forcibly displaced persons, including over 25 million refugees, 3 million asylum seekers and over 40 million internally displaced persons.<\/span><\/p>\n

Who is a migrant?<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

The United Nation Agency\u00a0(IOM) defines agency as any person who is moving or has moved across an international border or within a State away from his\/her habitual place of residence, regardless of<\/span><\/p>\n

(1) The person\u2019s legal status<\/span><\/p>\n

(2) Whether the movement is voluntary or involuntary<\/span><\/p>\n

(3) What the causes for the movement are<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0(4) What the length of the stay is.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Migrants and the SDGs<\/span><\/h3>\n

The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development recognizes for the first time the contribution of migration to sustainable development. 11 out of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) contain targets and indicators that are relevant to migration or mobility. The Agenda’s core principle is to “leave no one behind,” including migrants.<\/span><\/p>\n

The SDGs\u2019 central reference to migration is made in target 10.7: to facilitate orderly, safe, regular and responsible migration and mobility of people, including through the implementation of planned and well-managed migration policies. Other targets that directly reference migration mention trafficking, remittances, international student mobility and more. In addition to this, migration is indirectly relevant to many more targets across topics.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Causes of Migration:<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Nowadays, many people decide to migrate to have a better life. Employment opportunities are the most common reason due to which people migrate. Except this, lack of opportunities, better education, construction of dams, globalization, natural disaster (flood and drought) and sometimes crop failure forced villagers to migrate to cities.<\/span><\/p>\n

Impacts of Migration<\/span><\/h2>\n

Migration is becoming a very important subject for the life of cities. Many opportunities and attraction of big cities pull large numbers of people to big cities. Migration can have positive as well as negative effects on the life of the migrants.<\/span><\/p>\n

Positive Impact<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n
    \n
  • Unemployment is reduced and people get better job opportunities.<\/span><\/li>\n
  • Migration helps in improving the quality of life of people.<\/span><\/li>\n
  • It helps to improve social life of people as they learn about new culture, customs, and languages which helps to improve brotherhood among people.<\/span><\/li>\n
  • Migration of skilled workers leads to a greater economic growth of the region.<\/span><\/li>\n
  • Children get better opportunities for higher education.<\/span><\/li>\n
  • The population density is reduced and the birth rate decreases.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

    Negative Impact<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n
      \n
    • The loss of a person from rural areas, impact on the level of output and development of rural areas.<\/span><\/li>\n
    • The influx of workers in urban areas increases competition for the job, houses, school facilities etc.<\/span><\/li>\n
    • Having large population puts too much pressure on natural resources, amenities and services.<\/span><\/li>\n
    • It is difficult for a villager to survive in urban areas because in urban areas there is no natural environment and pure air. They have to pay for each and everything.<\/span><\/li>\n
    • Migration changes the population of a place, therefore, the distribution of the population is uneven in India.<\/span><\/li>\n
    • Many migrants are completely illiterate and uneducated, therefore, they are not only unfit for most jobs, but also lack basic knowledge and life skills.<\/span><\/li>\n
    • Poverty makes them unable to live a normal and healthy life.<\/span><\/li>\n
    • Children growing up in poverty have no access to proper nutrition, education or health.<\/span><\/li>\n
    • Migration increased the slum areas in cities which increase many problems such as unhygienic conditions, crime, pollution etc.<\/span><\/li>\n
    • Sometimes migrants are exploited.<\/span><\/li>\n
    • Migration is one of the main causes of increasing nuclear family where children grow up without a wider family circle.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

      MIGRATION IN INDIA<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

      There is a wilderness within our borders. It\u2019s so vast that it covers an entire nation, with around 100 million inhabitants, one-fifth of our labour force. The total earnings of these seasonal wanderers, India\u2019s internal migrant workers, are around $170 billion per annum, i.e. around 6% of India\u2019s GDP. Sadly, this wilderness, comprising the residents hidden away in industrial complexes, in soot-ridden kitchens of hotels and in dusty construction sites, is invisible to the naked eye.<\/span><\/p>\n

      Challenges: <\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

      Shambhu Ghatak<\/strong>, from the Inclusive Media for Change Project, says the migrant population in India is riddled with the issues of the following:<\/span><\/p>\n

        \n
      • Inadequate housing;<\/span><\/li>\n
      • Low-paid, insecure or hazardous work;<\/span><\/li>\n
      • Extreme vulnerability of women and children to trafficking and sex exploitation;<\/span><\/li>\n
      • Exclusion from state services such as health and education; and<\/span><\/li>\n
      • Discrimination based on ethnicity.<\/span><\/li>\n
      • Furthermore, there are mental health issues, not to mention the darkness of debt-ridden, bonded labour.<\/span><\/li>\n
      • But, herein lies an irony: a treasure-trove of close to $3 billion, levied as cess on builders under two migrant workers acts, lies grossly underutilised.<\/span><\/li>\n
      • Access to the money eludes migrant workers as they need to provide proof of address, which is difficult due to the fluidity of their lives.<\/span><\/li>\n
      • Further, ration cards, Voter IDs and Aadhaar cards are also not easy to obtain.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

         <\/p>\n

        Solutions: <\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

          \n
        • Trade unions are the best way for the workers to benefit from government welfare schemes but employers often prefer hiring unregistered migrants over their registered counterparts, further distancing the migrants\u2019 access.<\/span><\/li>\n
        • There is also the Inter-State Migrant Workmen Act (1979), enacted to prevent migrant workers from being exploited, but it is rarely invoked and the penalty is minimal.<\/span><\/li>\n
        • However, there are rays of hope, stemming from civil society organisations like the Aajeevika Bureau, Hunnarshala Foundation and Ci3.<\/span><\/li>\n
        • Some Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiatives.<\/span><\/li>\n
        • Forward-thinking government schemes like that for affordable, migrant housing in Bhuj; and from these resolute workers themselves (the women toilet-masons of Assam are a story of positive irony, for a change).<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

           <\/p>\n

          Way forward: <\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

            \n
          • We need something more than the promise of \u2018Housing for All by 2022\u2019, which fails to address the needs of accommodation for such workers.<\/span><\/li>\n
          • There need to be multi-level reforms, with an emphasis on sustainable, inclusive construction practices; affordable temporary housing schemes; and inclusive urbanisation at the top.<\/span><\/li>\n
          • These should be peppered with legally binding implementation protocols.<\/span><\/li>\n
          • We need to accommodate the wilderness within, so as to help morph this open cage, in which migrant workers live, into a sanctuary of inclusive hope.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

             <\/p>\n

             <\/p>\n

             <\/p>\n

             <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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