Socio-Economic Impacts on the Migrants due to COVID-19

Abstract: India has a massive migrant population that accounts for 453.6 million. The migration at the state level varies from one state to another state depending on several reasons like employment availability, better living standard, marriage, education, etc. In India, it is prevalent that the flow of migration is from the state, which lacks employment opportunities for the people. This huge migrant population includes the labour migrants who mostly hail from poor backgrounds and lack formal education. These migrants work in multiple low wage works like street vending construction, stone query mines, etc. The maximum net outflow of migrants is directly from the low-income states to the high-income states. UP has the highest net outflow population, while Maharashtra occupies the highest net inflow of migrants. These migrants are the daily wage workers and constitute the informal sector. Due to the sudden outbreak, Covid-19 has impacted them the most in this pandemic. With the loss of their daily employment in the cities, these migrants started to walk back to their native villages. Also, lack of social security, social stigma, and loss of livelihood has further added to their misery. The government's initiatives at a much later stage have somehow helped them. But still, there is a long way to go before eradicating this disparity. These migrants form an indispensable part of our economy. Thus, their social and economic protection is of prime importance to us. There is a need for specific provisions and an inclusive framework for the overall security of the migrants. Access to health care, proper awareness, combating discrimination, food security, psychological support, and being connected to everyone are some of the necessary steps. Such provisions can ensure a sense of better living for these migrants.