Gujarat is among key destination states for migrants along with Delhi, Maharashtra, Haryana, Punjab & Karnataka.
Surat, which is famous for its diamond and textile industries, is home to the highest percentage of migrant population in India, states a Unesco report on ‘Social Inclusion of Illegal Migrants in India’.
The report, released on Thursday, says that Surat at 58% has the highest percentage of migrant population in India. The population of Surat City was 44.62 lakh (as per Census 2011), which means that migrants comprise almost 26% of the population, according to the report. The percentage of migrant population is 43% for Mumbai and Delhi.
Gujarat is among the key destination states for migrants alongwith Delhi, Maharashtra, Haryana, Punjab and Karnataka, according to the study. Not surprisingly, highest number of migrants to the state are from Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Odisha, Maharashtra and Rajasthan, majority of who are employed in textile, construction, diamond and other sectors.
The report also dismisses the myth that migration burdens the destination states. It says migrants are looked upon as outsiders and considered a burden, but the fact is that internal migrants contribute cheap labour for manufacturing and service and, in doing so, contribute to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
The report says migrants do the dirty, dangerous and degrading jobs, which locals do not want to do, which it says is “different from stealing jobs”. “By not accepting migrants or providing facilities to them, governments are merely increasing the risk and costs of migration and reducing its development potential,” states the report.
It says migrants, in practice, do not have “freedom and dignity that the constitution promises”.
“Policymakers are urban planners mostly view migration as negative process and have therefore created a difficult and unsupportive environment through neglect and inaction,” it says.
Internal migration constitutes about one-third of India’s urban population and this proportion has been increasing. In Asia, Africa and Latin America, approximately 40% of urban growth results from internal migration.
The report also dismisses the myth that migration burdens the destination states. It says migrants are looked upon as outsiders and considered a burden, but the fact is that internal migrants contribute cheap labour for manufacturing and service
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