Impact of COVID-19 on Migrant Labour of India

Abstract

The world is devastated by the unprecedented impact of COVID-19 pandemic on human health as well as economy. Fearing the contagion of the diseases, countries around the world resorted to lockdown of activities and home quarantine strategies at the first place. The prolonged lockdown of economic activities in India as well as other countries has resulted in reverse migration of labourers working inside India as well as Indians working in foreign nations especially Middle East and West. Stressing on the intensity of internal migration many have termed it as the biggest ever internal migration crisis in India after independence.In this backdrop, the paper tries to make an assessment of the plight of migrant labourers. Also, using the available data on migrant workers of India, the paper tries to evaluate the pressure this reverse migration would put on Indian job market.