SOCIOLOGY- I

MIGRATION AND ITS IMPACT ON SOCIETY

SUBMITTED BY SUPERVISED BY

AMAN SAINI DR. RITU SHARMA

69LLB20

NATIONAL LAW UNIVERSITY, NEW DELHI

2021

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 Table of content

Page no.

Declaration ……………………………………………………… PAGE 3

Introduction ...…………………………………………………….. PAGE 4 -5

Chapter I Migration from a Sociological Perspective PAGE 6

Chapter II Migration impact on women’s due to Covid -19 PAGE 7

Chapter III Reverse Migration PAGE 8

Chapter IV Reverse migration's effects on the operation

of metropolitan areas PAGE 10

Conclusion PAGE 11

BIBLOGRAPHY PAGE 12 -13

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 DECLARATION

I, the undersigned, certify that this research work on "Migration and its Impact on
Society," written and submitted to National Law University, Delhi under the
supervision of Dr Ritu Sharma, is original and free of plagiarism. I've tried to
properly credit all of the materials that were consciously used for the aim of this
research work. All of the thoughts and interpretations presented here are based on
sources that I have properly acknowledged and gathered. I'd want to thank my
supervisor for going above and beyond to ensure that my peers and I had a positive
learning and research experience despite the difficult conditions.

AMAN SAINI

YEAR II, SEMESTER III

NATIONAL LAW UNIVERSITY, NEW DELHI

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 OVERVIEW

INTRODUCTION
One of the key sociological questions is how migration impacts social life. Migration (or the
process of moving to a new location) happens in the face of several types of borders such as
those of a political, social, symbolic, and legal nature. Sociologists study processes that go
beyond the physical crossing of state and national borders, such as changes in global and local
inequality that structure migration, the social construction of belonging boundaries, and political
disputes linked to various types of human mobility. Sociologists study processes that go beyond
the physical crossing of state and national borders, such as changes in global and local inequality
that structure migration, the social construction of belonging boundaries, and political disputes
linked to various types of human mobility. Individuals will be moved between pre-existing
positions, or positions will be created, abolished, or modified as part of these structural changes.
In this light, the research examines the recent migration of working-class people, particularly
wage workers, from cities to rural areas . J.A. Jackson eloquently highlighted the enormous issue
of investigating the many ways migration is linked to social change by saying that "it may still
not be able to offer a truly comprehensive sociological model of migration which can adequately
embrace its different sorts and implications." Richard Startup attempted to use the action frame
of reference to provide a conceptual framework to rectify this deficiency by defining social
migration as "any instance of geographical movement of individuals or groups relative to one
another, or any instance of geographical movement by a group, which has a consequence"
despite the difficulties that accompany any attempt to provide an adequate integrating theoretical
perspective When it comes to the sociological analysis of migration, there are two main
approaches: the transnational-spaces approach and the notion of transnational field, as defined by
Anna Amelina. Short-term cross-border configurations are differentiated from long-term cross-
border configurations using the first technique. After all, in order to study long-term societal
configurations such as economics and politics that go beyond geographical bounds

Since Western nations' industrialization and economic progress have been linked historically,
there has been worry that migration to Third World cities is the consequence of "pushes" from
rapidly growing populations and stagnant economies in rural areas. Migration from Third World
countries may be a factor in urban poverty and unemployment. Out-migration from rural areas in
developing countries has been shown to worsen city population growth in ways different from
earlier patterns in industrialised countries, according to this argument.

Migration has a serious influence on the population size of origin and destination locations and
is thus linked to social structure in an indirect way. Due to the size of India's population, many
people move to the country's largest cities each year in quest of better job possibilities Because
of this abrupt and complete lack of social/protection measures, the lockdown, which was
implemented in March 2020, exposed vulnerable migrants to an array of acute risks and

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precipitated a major "reverse movement" of migrant workers from destination centres. . It's no
secret that India's industrial and urban sectors have become increasingly dependent on the labour
of migrant employees since the outbreak and subsequent lockdown. Forthcoming in 2020
Lockdown restrictions have caused a major reverse migration that might have far-reaching
consequences for both migrants and the country as a whole if the problem is not addressed
adequately and promptly.

Research Objectives

The paper aims to achieve the following objectives:

1. Examine the relevance of labour migration to and from cities, particularly in developing
nations.

2. Analyse the disruption in migration patterns produced by the COVID-19 shutdown

restrictions in order to compare and contrast the sociological changes brought about by
movement in traditional and non-traditional

3. Analyse the new social changes occurred due to migration in life of migrants specially
women’s?

4. Examine the importance of caste in migration in rural economy?

Methodology

The methodology used is doctrinal in nature, as reliance is placed on established facts and
theories. The method adopted is partly descriptive and partly analytical.

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 CHAPTER I

Migration from a Sociological Perspective

If you want to use the sociological definition of migration, it has been defined as "any
occurrence of a group or individual moving geographically with consequences for the
group structure.”

Migration, particularly in the present world, is a key sign of fundamental societal

transformation. Large-scale population shifts from rural to urban areas, both within and
across countries, often accompany industrialization. 1 These demographic shifts reached a
tipping point in terms of numbers in Europe and North America at the turn of the
previous century, but they are still going strong in Africa, Asia, and South America,
which are still developing rapidly. Millions of individuals are fleeing their countries of
origin in search of work, a new home, or simply a safe place to live. Emigration is one
component of the social crisis that comes with modernization and incorporation into the
global economy for many less developed countries. Overpopulation is a result of
urbanisation and the rural "green revolution." People migrate to developing cities in
search of better job prospects and better social conditions. In the early stages of
industrialization, rapid urbanisation far outpaced the production of new jobs. Previous
rural-to-urban migrants may decide to make a second move, this time to a more
developed country, in order to better their lot in life. Many migrants end up becoming
permanent residents, regardless of whether they intended to relocate there temporarily or
permanently. As migratory networks grow, they connect points of origin with points of
destination, helping to shape both places. As a result of migration, these structures can
change as well as bring new cultural diversity and call into question national identity.

Additionally, as a result of the increase in international migration, there has been an

increase in paranoia and xenophobia due to the often implicit assumption that migration,
as opposed to mobility, has a much greater cultural impact on both the migrants and the
societies in which they settle. This assumption has led to conflicts, integration issues, or
more positively, social and cultural change. As a result, migration has an indirect effect
on the social structure because it directly affects the population size of the locations
where people migrate and where they want to go. As a result of population growth,
migration will have an impact on a wide range of socio-economic and political systems,
from the economy to households and families to political power structures and authority
structures.

The choice of migration (based on age, gender, marital status, etc.) and the connections
between these sociodemographic characteristics and the social organisation of areas of

1
Clifford J. Jansen, ‘Readings in the Sociology of Migration’ (Pergamon Press 1970) 3

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 origin and destination complicate these indirect demographic links. There are no limits
when it comes to migration; it cuts across all of these areas. Rather than being a limited,
well-defined subject of study, migratory sociology is open and diverse, with frequent and
spirited conceptual and methodological disagreements.

CHAPTER II

Migration impact on women’s due to Covid 19

COVID-19's second wave in India resulted in historic losses. Without the means to absorb
economic shocks and mitigate the health crisis, the poorest and most marginalised people,
particularly women and girls, are more vulnerable. Despite the prospect of a third wave, they are
caring for their families, maintaining their livelihoods, and spearheading pandemic-fighting
activities. It is estimated that around 30 million Indians have been infected with the coronavirus.
People of any gender or age can become infected with COVID-19. Some women and girls, on
the other hand, may be more vulnerable because they are poorer, have fewer resources, or are on
the front lines as caretakers and employees in the health and service industries.

Wage disparities and the financial burden of unpaid caregiving have resulted in an increase in the
number of women who are unemployed and living in poverty. Even before the outbreak, women
in India earned only one-fifth of what males did. During COVID-19, more women around the
world, as well as in India, lost their jobs. According to a study done by the Azim Premji
University Center for Sustainable Employment in India, just 7% of men lost their employment
during the first lockdown in 2020, compared to 47% of women who lost their jobs and did not
return to work by the end of the year. Women fared considerably worse in the unorganised
sector. Rural Indian women working in informal jobs lost 80 per cent of their jobs this year,
between March and April 2021. Unless policies and actions purposefully target and invest in
women, the socio-economic toll on women and girls has long-term effects. If the departure of
women from the labour continues, it might have a negative impact on both gender equality and
GDP as a whole. More girls than boys were left out of school because of the epidemic, according
to UN Women data. In order to conserve money, 66% of parents surveyed said they were
unwilling to continue the education of their daughters. This could result in a whole generation of
young women being unable to further their studies or find work.

Because of existing gender norms and inequities, every crisis affects women and girls differently
than it does men. To recover from the COVID-19 crisis in a better and more equal way, policy,
investment, and action must be shaped by and targeted at women and girls. Women should be at
the centre of India's recovery strategy to ensure that measures improve Indian women's lives and
promote widespread social value.

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To begin with, women are experiencing significant employment and income losses. Between
March and April 2020, 15.4 million women, or 37 percent of the female workforce, lost their
jobs, compared to 28 percent of men. Between October 2019 and October 2020, the labour force
shrank by 10.5 percent for women and 2% for men. Women-owned small companies, which
primarily work in consumer-facing industries like textiles, food processing, and handicrafts, have
experienced a significant demand shock, with slow recovery. Anecdotal data suggests that as the
economy opens, men will be chosen for re-employment in the informal sector.

Inequity in access to education, health, and job prospects has deteriorated as a result of the digital
gender divide. Although 63 percent of adult women in India hold a mobile phone (compared to
79 percent of adult men), just 21% use mobile internet (compared to 42 percent of adult men).
Women are routinely denied access to technology, and their use of phones is regulated by male
relatives. Women are at risk of being left behind as online education, telemedicine, and work
from home become the norm, leaving them unable to gain the skills needed to engage in the
digital economy. Domestic abuse has become a shadow pandemic for women. Domestic violence
is made more likely by social isolation and mandatory confinement with prospective abusers. In
May 2020, the districts with the strongest lockdown measures reported a 131 percent spike in
domestic abuse complaints compared to other districts, according to a 2020 report.

Chapter III

Reverse Migration

There are four times as many foreign migrants as there are within a country, according to the
UNDP Human Development Report 2009. Approximately 87 percent of all migrants were
already citizens of India at the time of the 2001 census, according to data from that year's census.
Rural-to-rural migration has been the most significant stream in all censuses. Because of
marriage, female migrants make up a far larger share of rural migrants. With regards to long-
distance (interstate) travel in India, the 2001 Census reveals an obvious gender difference in the
country's population. 47% of male interstate movers came from rural areas, with rural-to-urban
areas being the most common trend, whereas for females, rural-to-rural areas were the most
common. Taken into account, employment becomes the most important factor in interstate
movement. This type of movement would be the main focus of this chapter, as the lockdown
limitations caused significant disruptions in interstate migration.

As India's labour dynamics have changed over the last three decades, spatial and occupational
mobility has become increasingly important. As a result, the rural-to-urban migration rate has
risen, and the rural working population has shifted from agriculture to secondary and tertiary
sectors. There was an increase of problems faced by migrants in India due to the COVID-19
epidemic and limits put in place to control its spread because of India's urban-rural population

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structure and the dynamic movement component.2 After the seriousness of the Covid 19disease
and the extent of its spread became clear, the government turned to Social Distancing as its
principal tactic for prevention and control.3 “As part of this strategy, large-scale national
movements were restricted after 24 March 2020 and a complete restriction on passenger travel in
any form was implemented as part of a nationwide lockdown.” 4 “However, this had an
immediate severe effect on migrant workers as a lockdown with complete restriction on
passenger travel affected their mobility, which they relied upon to find employment
opportunities.”5 Since many migrant workers rely on daily pay to make ends meet and have no
other choice but to return home because they come from marginalised sections of society, they
had no choice but to go. . Since there was a complete restriction on passenger travel, the migrants
did.t have any transport facilities and were, therefore, forced to walk thousands of kilometres
without food and money in an attempt to reach their places of origin.

Pandemics not only cause a public health crisis, but they also frequently result in economic and
migration crises. The unexpected collapse of employment and effective social protection
mechanisms in India caused a major departure of migrant workers from destination centres
(mainly urban) to source centres, often known as reverse migration, in an attempt to escape
poverty and dwindling availability of vital products. This is demonstrated by the fact that India's
gross domestic product dropped by 23.9 per cent in April-June, considerably above economists'
expectations. Reverse migration is the movement of people from their place of employment back
to their homes. The country is witnessing the second largest mass migration in its history,
following the Partition of India in 1947, which resulted in the displacement of over 14 million
people. According to a World Bank analysis, the restrictions imposed during the lockdown
impacted about 40 million internal migrants. A significant number of them may have returned to
their homelands, but due to a lack of statistics on the subject, this cannot be determined.
“.Internal migrants grew by 44,9% between 2001 and 2011, above the population growth rate of
18%. This is according to Census 2011. There are plenty of job prospects for migrants in the
destination centres, but the majority are compelled to live and work in substandard conditions as
informal workers, which is made worse by the fact that they have very little money saved
up.”6This means they lack a "buffer" in the form of money to deal with the uncertainties that may
occur as a result of a crisis. As a result, when a complete lockdown was imposed, many migrants
who relied on daily income lost their livelihoods, with no safety net in the form of savings or
government protection in the form of social security. Many people were left with no choice but
to return home. Migrant workers in large cities are obliged to either stay in risky conditions in

2
Richa Mukhra, Kewal Krishan, & Tanuj Kanchan, “COVID-19 Sets off Mass Migration in India” (2020) Archives of
Medical Research
3
Avijit Maji, Tushar Choudhari, M.B. Sushma, “Implication of Repatriating Migrant Workers on COVID-19 Spread
and Transportation Requirements
4
Ibid.
5

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the city or return to their places of origin—villages or smaller towns—whether due to economic
hardship or a pandemic like COVID-19. If given the choice, most people will choose the second
alternative. When things go wrong at the destination, more people will return to their home
communities. Both a widespread pandemic and an exceptional economic crisis affected migrants
hard in this area. The ensuing reverse movement of employees to their rural homes was
aggravated by the lack of a protection system for migrant workers, effective government action,
and even complete data on migrants.7

Migration changes the basic anatomy of local growth and decline by supporting national
economic growth and human well-being. Further growth can be stimulated or dampened
depending on the number of new people that come in or how many people leave. As a result,
reverse migration of the magnitude we are witnessing now, in addition to the obvious
demographic and socioeconomic changes that would result from such a large departure, is likely
to have serious ramifications for metropolitan regions' functioning.

Chapter IV

Reverse migration's effects on the operation of metropolitan areas

Agriculture, textiles, and construction are all businesses that rely heavily on migrant labour and
their absence will have serious negative ramifications. Because of the labour shortage, several
industries' productivity is likely to suffer, resulting in a slowdown in the economy. Studies in the
last few decades have revealed that decisions about migration and where people choose to live
are influenced by the economic situation in their home countries. Economic crises such as the
Great Recession and the Asian Financial Crisis show that migrants' propensity to return to their
countries of origin following economic upheavals may be impacted by migrants' accumulated
experiences and shared migrant relationships. Many migrant workers who reversed their
emigration from major industrial hubs and metropolitan centres during the crisis may never
return, preferring to live off of whatever meagre employment they may find in the farms in their
village or adjacent towns. In industrial centres like Mumbai, Surat, and Delhi, where labour is
scarce, this could lead to a short-term lack of human resources.

Moreover, many migrants are well educated and work in technical fields that require skilled
personnel. Despite the availability of comparable alternatives that allow individuals to work from
home, such migration would have a significant impact on industry productivity. Because
outmigration typically removes the most qualified workers – the young, educated, and talented –
those left behind tend to be overaged, undereducated, and underskilled. As a result,
disadvantaged communities lose appeal to new sectors that demand trained workers,
compounding the problem of unemployment. Furthermore, because the population that stays is
less prone to migration, the remaining population has less mobility potential, implying that

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higher economic incentives are required to maintain any balance between population size and
diminishing work prospects.

The pandemic may also threaten food security and nutrition. The COVID-19 has worsened food
insecurity and reduced migrant livelihood options, as lockdowns and social distancing tactics
have dried up work and revenue while disrupting agricultural production, transit, and supplies.
These interruptions have severely hampered the production of numerous items.

While reverse migration may have negative economic and demographic effects on metropolitan
areas, it may also have a good influence on living standards. Many migrants cannot afford
sufficient amenities and are forced to live in unsanitary shelters with poor quality drinking water,
sanitation facilities, drainage, and solid waste disposal. That's why urban planners have recently
acknowledged the link between migration and slum expansion.

Conclusion

An important sign of social change has been the increase in migration in modern times. The
industrialization has typically been accompanied by massive population shifts from rural to
urban areas both within and between countries. As a result of migration, both the origin and
destination countries have a correspondingly larger population. Migration will have an impact on
everything from economic output to consumption patterns to labour markets to home and family
networks to political power and authority structures, as well as other population-related social,
economic, and political components of society. Massive rural-to-urban migration has been
documented in developing countries for decades as a result of the "pushes" caused by rapid
population expansion and economic stagnation in rural areas. As a result of migration,
urbanisation has progressed more rapidly in LDCs than in MDCs.

This has led to squatter settlements, concentrated poverty, severe traffic difficulties and a
widespread deficiency in essential services in many cities. The spread of new ideas, attitudes,
and behaviours can be attributed to migration in developing countries. As new information about
social, economic, and educational prospects spreads, so do "modern" views about consumption,
production, values, and loyalty to one's family and community.

It has become the hallmark of labour dynamics in India during the last three decades for people
to move from rural to urban areas, with a notable increase in rural-to-urban workers, and a large
shift in the rural working population from agriculture to the secondary and secondary sectors.
Even so, the precarious situation of many migrants, especially those from marginalised groups
and those who rely on daily wages to make ends meet, has been brought to light as a national
lockdown restricting large-scale movements and imposing a complete ban on passenger travel by
all modes of transportation has been implemented.

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After travel restrictions between states and districts were relaxed, an extraordinary reverse
migration took place, with significant ramifications for urban areas Because of the crisis, many
migrant workers who fled major industrial hubs and urban areas may never return or may not
return for a long time. This will leave these businesses short on human resources. Food
insecurity among migrants has risen due to COVID-19 since lockdowns and social distancing
measures have dried up employment and incomes while also causing interruptions in agricultural
production and transportation infrastructure, as well as a lack of adequate agricultural supplies.

An adequate policy response to handle both domestic and international immigration is becoming
increasingly necessary because of migration's enormous scale in quantity, as well as the
constantly changing profile of migration routes encompassing intra-regional and inter-regional
movement. While several policy options exist to cope with the current reverse-migration issue, it
is clear that the government's migration policy needs to be reformed in order to provide
reassurance to migrants and prevent such crises from leading to huge reversal migration.
Developing a strong framework that creates and implements cogent policies while coordinating
and working across key ministries and agencies is critical in this setting. Institutional capacity,
migrant rights, and safe and orderly movement should be the three pillars of this system. It's
likely that a complete framework built on these three pillars would not only handle many of the
issues currently facing migrants but would also be in a position to address any future migration-
related issues.

Steps taken by Government to tackle migration and its impact on society

 ODISHA becomes first state to add millets pulses , vegetable in govt. ration schemes to
encourage women empowerment in state which affected by covid-19
 Delhi govt. to introduce to digital health card to counter over burden on health system
 GOI and other states announce financial assistance scheme
 UP govt. announce pensions scheme to victim families
 GOI approved single window for project which are powered by foreign players and relax
some labour laws to control unemployment by which migration no. can significantly
decrease.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Books

 Clifford J. Jansen, ‘Readings in the Sociology of Migration’ (Pergamon Press 1970)

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  S. Irudaya Rajan & Sumeetha (eds.), ‘Handbook of Internal Migration in India’ (Sage
Publications 2020)

 Kankesu Jayanthakumaran, Reetu Verma, Guanghua Wan, & Edgar Wilson (eds.),
‘Internal Migration, Urbanization, and Poverty in Asia: Dynamics and
Interrelationships’ (Asian Development Bank 2019)

Articles

 “Anoop Khanna, “Impact of Migration of Labour Force due to Global Covid-19

Pandemic with Reference to India” (2020) 22(2) Journal of Health Management 181”

 “Satadru Sikdar & Preksha Mishra, “Reverse Migration during Lockdown: A Snapshot of
Public Policies” (2020) National Institute of Public Finance and Policy Working Paper”

 “Richa Mukhra, Kewal Krishan, & Tanuj Kanchan, “COVID-19 Sets off Mass Migration
in India” (2020) Archives of Medical Research”

 Akhileshwari Reddy, ‘Lack of Updated Data led to Massive Migrant Crisis during
COVID-19’

 Asian bank development bank blog ‘It is time to address COVID-19’s

disproportionate impact on India’s women’

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