Internal Migration and Inclusive Development: Insights from the Field

Migration is a universal phenomenon. From time immemorial, women and men have travelled in search of better living. There are two separate streams of migration. The first one is at the upper end of human capital hierarchy, to fill in existing surplus demand in the labour market of destination regions. Consequently, this process is highly selective in nature—in terms of skills and training, age and gender. The second stream emerges due to ‘Push factors’ or distress conditions in the source regions (relative to the destination)—economic hardships in the form of low wages, high unemployment, heavy population pressure, etc. in the native places and the lure of better earning opportunities in the economically vibrant destination region. This process is a coping mechanism of poor families and helps them come out of poverty. Thus, migration can be both discriminatory and egalitarian. Another issue is the emerging pattern of identity and conflict between natives and migrants in several parts of the country. Social inclusion of migrants is sometimes at jeopardy and goes against the ethos and economics of one nation–one labour market principle. Using field data from three districts of Bengal in India, this paper seeks to understand issues like who migrates—what are the social, economic and institutional factors that determine migration decisions; what are the socio-economic disparities between migrants/natives and various socio-religious groups regarding education, employment and earnings; whether migration is a successful route out of poverty; perception of natives in receiving regions about migrant workers and how migrants assimilate. It also explores the humanitarian issues related to migration through case studies to help us understand vulnerability of migrants.