Kerala turns El Dorado for migrant labour; they send home a whopping Rs17,500 crore a year
Kerala, known as the global supplier of manpower, accounts for the largest number of international migrants from an Indian state. The number of emigrants from Kerala is estimated around 3 million, almost a tenth of the resident population. Their remittances, which stand around Rs 1 lakh crore, form the mainstay of the Kerala economy. The main reason for such large-scale migration of people is the lack of employment opportunities in the state. Keralites’ penchant for white collar jobs too has led to severe shortage of labour in the construction and agricultural sectors.
Ironically, Kerala is, of late, witnessing a reverse migration of labour. According to a study, there are over 25 lakh domestic migrant labourers in Kerala today with an annual arrival rate of 2.35 lakhs. Their remittances to their home states through the banking channels are estimated to be around Rs. 17,500 crores a year.
For the migrant labourers, Kerala is the new Gulf. They slog from 9 to 12 hours per day for wages ranging between Rs 300 and Rs 600. The influx of migrant labour comes at a time when there is a decline in migration of Malayalis to Gulf countries.
About 75 % of migrant labourers come to Kerala from five states — West Bengal, Bihar, Assam, Uttar Pradesh and Odisha. The trains that reach Kerala from those states are jam-packed with potential work force. They have fanned out into every nook and corner of the State, from Thiruvananthapuram to Kasargod, willing to do any job. Almost 60% of them work in the construction sector, while the remaining are employed in hospitality, manufacturing, trade and agriculture sectors. They range from unskilled to skilled carpenters, masons, electricians and the like.
The study, conducted by the Gulati Institute of Taxation, reports that migrant worker presence in the state could rise as high as 4.8 million in 10 years going by the local demand. Relatively higher wages compared to their home state and better living conditions are the vital factors that lure them to Kerala. Poverty and displacement from land and resources due to industrialisation and land acquisition are other reasons that drive them to Kerala in search of work.
The large scale migration of people into Kerala has also brought in its wake serious law and order issues. There is a spurt in crimes involving migrant workers, consisting mainly of single males aged between 18 and 35 years. Innumerable cases of theft, burglary, murders, drug peddling, drug abuse, kidnaps, fights and sexual crimes involving migrant workers have been reported, especially from the countryside where the workers are in close contact with local residents. There are also cases of elopement of local girls with migrant workers. It is easy for migrant labourers to get away with crimes as there is no record of their place of origin with any governmental agency or their employers.
The law enforcing agencies have recommended mandatory registration of migrant workers and upkeep of a proper record of them with the Labour Department or local bodies. Experts have also suggested a comprehensive health card for migrant labourers as most of them are found to be carriers of diseases eradicated by the state.
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