Cardinal Oswald Gracias, the president of Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India has released the study on distressed migrants in the context of COVID-19 on July 30, 2020. The study was jointly conducted by Caritas India, Indo-Global Social Service Society (IGSSS) and Indian Social Institute (ISI), Bengaluru.

“For the first time we realised the importance of migrants for the cities, we cannot carry on without migrants. Our economy, our constructions, our service sector and for instance every sector will collapse, therefore we need them. We need to welcome them, respect them, facilitate their return and guarantee them a respectable dignity and behaviour,” shared the President of CBCI. He appreciated the effort of Caritas India, IGSSS and ISI for conducting this study to record the learning and proposing recommendations for the future of the migrants to provide their due respectable dignity and their right.

The first copy of the study was given to Shri. Manavalan, IAS, President of IGSSS and Shri. Vijayanand, Former Chief Secretary of Government of Kerala during the online launch. The launch was attended was the head of different NGOs, civil society organisations and partners from across the country.

The study presents the huge complex reality of the migrants and understands their coping strategies and protective mechanism. The invisible migrants have suddenly come to the forefront when they started moving back from the cities in wake of loss of livelihood. The country has witnessed the second biggest migrant movement in our history, after the partition. The report tries to understand the immediate needs of these migrants and raises critically important questions relating to our model of development.

Shri. Manavalan expressing his views on the study said that “our constitution has many provisions which give directives to keep the dignity of the migrants and I hope that this study will be a great example for all the go through systematically and get it implemented to bring in equity, justice, and dignity of the individual as enshrined in the constitution.” He assured that the spirit of social work will be maintained.

“This great effort has enough material for advocacy”, said Shri. Vijayanand. He requested, “disseminate this study widely to politicians, trade unions, state governments, civil society organisations and get it translated in Hindi to share at the grass root level people so that it can be brought into the agenda of national discussion”. He also emphasised to create a national coalition to share and exchange ideas. He also insisted to work towards drafting a law for discussion and debate and building ownership.

Dr. Joseph Xavier SJ, Director of Indian Social Institute, Bengaluru shared a brief introduction about the study. He shared the snapshot of the study conducted in different states on the plight of the migrants. HE explained the principles, approach, target population, challenges, and recommendations of the study with the esteemed guests.

Mentioning of the new education policy of Government of India, Fr. Paul Moonjely, Executive Director of Caritas India brings in focus on the implication of the new education policy in the context of the migrant community. “Community participation being the key principle in the new policy and when we speak of livelihood, with dignity we also need to reflect on the future generation of the migrant children population”, shared Fr. Paul. He moderated a session and invited different panellist to share their reflections on the proceedings of the report.

Mr. Nelson, Executive Director of IGSSS also moderated a session to invite from different partners and organisations from this field.

The study will help NGOs, CSOs, field-based organisations, trade unions, Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) wing of companies, government institutions and people’s movements to realign and redesign their future interventions in the source and destination states. The recommendations of the study could also help different stakeholders to engage in advocacy works and lobby with respective states and philanthropists to develop proactive and innovative strategic responses and those organisations working with migrants in the destination states, to engage proactively with migrants, states and employers in the destination states.

Report: WALKING WITH THE MIGRANTS BEYOND COVID-19 PANDEMIC