Indian migrant workers during the COVID-19 pandemic

Main article: COVID-19 pandemic in India
Indian migrant workers during the COVID-19 pandemic
Stranded migrant workers during fourth phase of the lockdown near Paharganj
Date28 March 2020–present
CauseCOVID-19 pandemic-induced lockdown
Outcome
  • Sharp rise in unemployment
  • Starvation
  • Exodus to hometowns and villages
  • Shramik Special trains
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Indian migrant workers during the COVID-19 pandemic have faced multiple hardships. With factories and workplaces shut down due to the lockdown imposed in the country, millions of migrant workers had to deal with the loss of income, food shortages and uncertainty about their future.[1][2] Following this, many of them and their families went hungry.[3] Thousands of them then began walking back home, with no means of transport due to the lockdown.[4] A study found that 43.3 million interstate migrants returned to their home during the first wave of Covid-19 led lockdowns and out of 43.3 million around 35 million walked home or used unusual means of transportation.[5] In response, the Central and State Governments took various measures to help them,[6][7][8] and later arranged transport for them.[9][10] 198 migrant workers died due to the lockdown, with reasons of road accidents.[11]

  1. ^ Slater, Joanna; Masih, Niha (28 March 2020). "In India, the world's biggest lockdown has forced migrants to walk hundreds of miles home". The Washington Post. Retrieved 13 May 2020.
  2. ^ Singh, Kanika (6 April 2020). "Coronavirus outbreak: Ensuring water, hygiene facilities for migrant labourers can safeguard millions stranded during shutdown". Firstpost. Retrieved 16 May 2020.
  3. ^ Abi-Habib, Maria; Yasir, Sameer (29 March 2020). "India's Coronavirus Lockdown Leaves Vast Numbers Stranded and Hungry". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 13 May 2020.
  4. ^ Rashid, Omar; Anand, Jatin; Mahale, Ajeet (4 April 2020). "India coronavirus lockdown | Migrant workers and their long march to uncertainty". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 18 May 2020.
  5. ^ Nizam, Arif; Sivakumar, P.; Rajan, S. Irudaya (2022) [25/09/2022]. "Interstate Migration in India During the COVID-19 Pandemic: An Analysis Based on Mobile Visitor Location Register and Roaming Data". Journal of South Asian Development. 17 (3): 271–296. doi:10.1177/09731741221122000. ISSN 0973-1741. S2CID 252536877.
  6. ^ "More than 21,000 camps set up for over 6,60,000 migrants: State governments". The Economic Times. 1 April 2020. Retrieved 2 April 2020.
  7. ^ "Coronavirus lockdown | Over 60,000 people have registered on Delhi govt portal to go back home". The Hindu. Press Trust of India. 15 May 2020. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 18 May 2020.
  8. ^ "India to Provide Free Food Grains to Millions of Migrant Workers". The New York Times. Reuters. 14 May 2020. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 16 May 2020.
  9. ^ Gunasekar, Arvind (30 April 2020). "Buses Not Feasible For Moving Migrants, States Appeal To Centre: Sources". NDTV. Retrieved 9 May 2020.
  10. ^ Bhargava, Yuthika (1 May 2020). "Coronavirus lockdown | Railways to run 'Shramik Special' trains to move migrant workers, other stranded persons". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 9 May 2020.
  11. ^ "Migration worker death". 2 June 2020.