Every day, Manika faces terrible experiences while staying in the Shelter Home situated near Bangla Saheb Gurudwara in New Delhi. She came to Delhi in search of work, but due to lack of financial support, she took refuge in the shelter home. It is terrifying to stay with drug dealers, criminals, and suspicious characters, especially at night. She has been sexually and physically abused and even robbed of her identification documents.

Delhi is not new for Manika, She has worked here for 2.5 years as a domestic worker and returned home to stay with her family but this time the situation was different. After her husband committed suicide and her mother-in-law threw her out of her house. She has no other option but to leave her children with her brother and come to find a livelihood in the city.

Manika is not alone; hundreds and thousands of women migrate to cities for work and support their families. The migration of women is not much talked about as it is seen from the male perspective. The socio-economic impact of women migrants in both source and destination is not measured much in detail.

Caritas India has interviewed dozens of migrants across seven states of India to understand migrant’s situations in India in 2022. It was revealed that women who go alone for a job have more risk at their destination. Misbehaviour toward women is more common among those working in daily labour. Women were not free to express their concerns related to such insecurities out of fear and humiliation.

Recognizing the urgent need to address these issues, Caritas India launched the Pravasi Banhdu project to protect the rights of migrants at source, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan and at destination, Delhi, Haryana, Gujarat and Goa. It was noticed that many migrants traveling from villages to big cities like Delhi in search of employment lack a place to stay. As a result, they frequently end up living in unsafe public spaces like roads, railway stations, and unsafe shelter homes, fall prey to harassment, exploitation, and abuse, particularly women. Additionally, migrants are unable to rent a room because they do not have enough money to do so initially; instead, they arrange their own living arrangements once they find employment.

Caritas India established a Short Stay Shelter home specifically for migrants coming from long distance to cities in search of work. Pravasi Bandhu Shelter home provides free food services and health facilities to all the inmates.

Manika approached Pravasi Bandhu shelter home along with one of the inmate Ms. Chinmayee for seeking shelter and medical support. Initiatlly she was hesitant due to her past physical and mental trauma but after meeting another inmate from Jharkhand, Manika was normal.

For Manika, the Pravasi Bandhu Shelter home became a lifeline. Supported by the compassionate team, she found solace in the companionship of fellow migrants like Chinmayee. With their assistance, she regained her confidence and, crucially, her identity documents – a vital step towards rebuilding her life.
Beyond offering shelter and medical support, Caritas India’s initiative extends to empowering migrants with vocational training, equipping them with the skills needed to secure employment and break free from the cycle of poverty and exploitation. Currently, Pravasi Bandhu Short Stay Shelter homes are in Gandhinagar, Goa, and Delhi.

Through their tireless efforts, Caritas India is not only improving the lives of individual migrants but also addressing the systemic challenges that perpetuate their vulnerability.