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THEME PAPER
migration policy in India? In 2021). For instance, young specific vulnerabilities and
the spirit of ‘Leave No One women may be motivated exclusions. Deshingkar et
Behind’ (LNOB), a powerful to migrate to seek autonomy al (2022) articulate four
and transformative promise from patriarchal restrictions. interlinked issues that
of the 2030 Agenda for Laying out this essential exacerbated the migrant
Sustainable Development and paradox between agency and crisis. First, labour market
its Sustainable Development vulnerability is an important segmentation involving
Goals (SDGs), can this first step to disentangling exploitative processes of
moment trigger the shift the complex phenomenon of recruitment, employment
towards an inclusive and migration. and reproduction of social
holistic policy approach that hierarchies and prejudices
seeks to address multiple Migrant workers are crucial places migrants at a relative
vulnerabilities as well as to India’s economic growth disadvantage to local workers.
enhance the agency of migrant story, powering important This is especially accentuated
households? As this paper sectors like manufacturing for those disadvantaged
will outline, the wheels are and construction and in terms of caste, class and
already turning in migration performing low-skilled but gender. Second, exclusionary
policy; however, to make essential jobs waste collection forms of urbanisation make
decisive strides, we will need essential for the survival of survival in cities difficult for
to build a policy consensus cities. While rural distress migrants including struggles
around migrant inclusion to is well acknowledged as a for adequate housing, access
bring about a change. driver of migration, migrant to social welfare and an over-
households exert their agency reliance on social networks
THE AGENCY- through complex migration owing to poor governance.
VULNERABILITY decisions regarding which Third, migrants are unable
PARADOX members of the household to meet documentation
move, where and for how standards, typically domicile
At the outset, such a long. As the pandemic
consensus must recognise demonstrated, they straddle or proof of residence, that
the importance of migrants rural and urban contexts make them eligible for
and their existing agency on to maximise the chances social welfare or emergency
the one hand, while seeking of survival and explore support. Despite being Indian
to redress the vulnerabilities aspirations for social nationals, their regional
they face on the other. mobility. Migration is an identities and associated
Despite evidence of migrants’ integral aspect of India’s political citizenships deny
economic contribution, policy demographic, economic and them patronage at their
actors in India perceive social transformation; as employment locations.
migration negatively and such, policy must support Fourth, migrants – especially
see it primarily as a result migrants in pursuing safe and those engaged in circular
of ‘push’ factors related to viable migration pathways and seasonal migration –
rural economic distress. This (International Labour remain invisible in official
overwhelming ‘sedentary Organisation 2020). datasets and are inadequately
bias’ blinds policy actors to registered for schemes and
the existence of aspiration Yet, despite Constitutional benefits. This lack of reliable
or non-economic reasons guarantees of free movement data exacerbates all the
for migration (Centre for within the country, internal other forms of vulnerability
Policy Research & UNICEF migrants in India face and makes it particularly
October, 2022, Volume 23. No.2 - SHELTER 37
