Conceptualizing Causes and Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic on Migration Patterns in India: A Comprehensive Review

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a profound impact on migration patterns in India. The pandemic-induced lockdowns and travel restrictions led to a massive reverse migration of labourers from urban centres back to rural areas, disrupting both livelihoods and regional economies. About 91 per cent of the total workforce in the country is from the informal sector, which include mostly daily wage workers such as agricultural labourers, migrant and other workers. According to the Indian government’s data, close to 263 million people are involved in the agriculture sector and more than half of them are part of agricultural labour who do not own farmland but work on others for farm owners, wages, harvest the crops and support the sale of the crops at the mandis (market place). This vulnerable section of people experienced the worst situations during this pandemic of COVID-19 global insurgence. The paper therefore, focuses on the review of the conceptual framework of migration and its triggering causes, as well as highlights the impact of the pandemic on migration. Furthermore, the paper examines the immediate challenges faced by migrants and labourers, including loss of employment, lack of access to social services, and heightened health risks.