Tamil Nadu   

Migration from Tamil Nadu on the rise: report

Special Correspondent

Poverty, unemployment and poor wages are the reasons for people leaving the State

Photo: S. R. Raghunathan

WRITING FROM EXPERIENCE: M. Shanmugavel of Palayamkottai, a migrant labourer, releasing the book ``State of the Indian Migrants'' in Chennai on Wednesday. Bernard D'Sami receives the first copy.

CHENNAI: Out of the 4.74 lakhs who emigrated for jobs in 2004, the highest number of 1.08 lakhs was from Tamil Nadu. The number of migrants from Tamil Nadu was nearly 19,500 more than that in 2003.

A dozen Tamil youths, who overstayed in Singapore, returned to Chennai "bearing signs of whipping." Their heads had been shaved in prison. These are some of the findings of a survey by Arunodhaya-Migrants Initiatives, an NGO, on the plight of Indian unskilled and semi-skilled workers who migrate abroad.

The study, launched around the end of 2003, was completed in January this year, Bernard D'Sami, organisation's coordinator, said. Macro economic reasons such as poverty, unemployment and poor wages were behind the emigration of a large number of people from Tamil Nadu. The report, which has been submitted to the Government, will be presented to the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Migrants.

Mr. Sami said after exports, the influx of revenue due to the migrants was the highest for the country at Rs.50,489 crores. According to a report on the "State of Indian migrant workers 2003-2004," about 35 lakh Indians were living in Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, Oman, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. The highest number of 15-lakh emigrants from India was received by Saudi Arabia. A majority of Indian migrants working in the Gulf were illiterate doing menial and unskilled jobs. "These categories of migrants are the easiest prey to all actors in migration from recruitment agents or middlemen in the local village to employers in the foreign countries." The survey report said many Indian women labour emigrants were subjected to abuse, exploitation, cheap labour and pushed into prostitution.

International convention

The organisation said India should sign the international convention on the protection of migrant workers and their families. Efforts should be taken to bring back migrant workers who were languishing in detention centres. As per the study, 6,944 Indians are languishing in prisons in foreign countries. The mandatory testing of migrant workers for HIV/AIDS at both ends should be stopped.

The report was released by M. Shanmugavel of Palayamkottai, Tiruneveli district, who worked as a carpenter in Sri Lanka, Libya, Iraq and Dubai. Narrating the plight of unskilled and semi-skilled workers, he said the problems included non-payment of salary to workers for months. Of course, the dues were paid when they returned. As the original documents were with employers, migrant labourers were expected to do as told.

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