Your search found 20 records
1 Lebel, L.; Naruchaikusol, S.; Juntopas, M. 2014. Transboundary flows of resources, people, goods, and services in the Mekong region. In Lebel, L.; Hoanh, Chu Thai; Krittasudthacheewa, C.; Daniel, R. (Eds.). Climate risks, regional integration and sustainability in the Mekong region. Petaling Jaya, Malaysia: Strategic Information and Research Development Centre (SIRDC); Stockholm, Sweden: Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI). pp.54-71.
International trade ; Foreign investment ; Economic aspects ; Financing ; Natural resources ; Agricultural products ; Exports ; Imports ; Tourism ; Migrant labour ; Infrastructure ; Energy resources ; Information technology / Southeast Asia / Cambodia / Lao People's Democratic Republic / Myanmar / Thailand / Vietnam / China / Mekong Region / Yunnan
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: IWMI, e-copy SF Record No: H046912)
(1.87 MB)
2 Wise, R. D.; Veltmeyer, H. 2016. Agrarian change, migration and development. Black Point, NS, Canada: Fernwood Publishing. 146p. (Agrarian Change and Peasant Studies Series 6)
Agrarian reform ; Labour mobility ; Migrant labour ; Rural urban migration ; Children ; International division of labour ; Income ; Remuneration ; Labour market ; Gender ; Political aspects ; Economic development ; Capitalism ; Rural poverty ; Social impact ; Institutions / USA / Mexico
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: 331.12791 G000 WIS Record No: H047707)
(0.39 MB)
3 Sugden, Fraser; Saikia, Panchali; Maskey-Amatya, Niki; Pokharel, Paras. 2016. Gender, agricultural investment and productivity in an era of out-migration. In Bharati, Luna; Sharma, Bharat R.; Smakhtin, Vladimir (Eds.). The Ganges River Basin: status and challenges in water, environment and livelihoods. Oxon, UK: Routledge - Earthscan. pp.273-293. (Earthscan Series on Major River Basins of the World)
Agricultural production ; Gender ; Labour allocation ; Migrant labour ; Male labour ; Women farmers ; Empowerment ; Agricultural practices ; Investment ; Productivity ; Irrigation ; Land ownership ; Tenant farmers ; Villages ; Demography ; Socioeconomic environment ; Remuneration ; Households ; Living standards ; Case studies / Nepal / India / Bangladesh / Ganges Basin / Dhanusha / Saptari / Madhubani
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: IWMI Record No: H047819)
4 Bharati, Luna; Sharma, Bharat R.; Smakhtin, Vladimir. (Eds.) 2016. The Ganges River Basin: status and challenges in water, environment and livelihoods. Oxon, UK: Routledge - Earthscan. 327p. (Earthscan Series on Major River Basins of the World)
River basin management ; Water resources ; Groundwater management ; Groundwater recharge ; Groundwater table ; Aquifers ; Surface water ; International waters ; International cooperation ; Sustainable agriculture ; Agricultural production ; Water use ; Agricultural practices ; Intensification ; Investment ; Water policy ; Climate change ; Flooding ; Drought ; Forecasting ; Water productivity ; Energy resources ; Water power ; Water accounting ; Irrigated land ; Water demand ; Environmental flows ; Ecosystem services ; Freshwater ; Species ; Biodiversity conservation ; Hydrometeorology ; Models ; Hydrogeology ; Groundwater pollution ; Arsenic ; Contamination ; Water quality ; Food chains ; Public health ; Waste water treatment plants ; Institutional development ; Water governance ; Socioeconomic environment ; Living standards ; Rural poverty ; Equity ; Land ownership ; Gender ; Migrant labour ; Women farmers ; Remuneration ; Villages ; Highlands ; Deltas ; Riparian zones / India / Nepal / Bangladesh / Ganges River Basin / Himalayan Region / Gangetic Plains / Bihar / West Bengal
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: IWMI Record No: H047808)
(0.41 MB)
5 Khanna, A. 2020. Impact of migration of labour force due to global COVID-19 pandemic with reference to India. Journal of Health Management, 22(2):181-191. [doi: https://doi.org/10.1177/0972063420935542]
Migrant labour ; Coronavirus disease ; Pandemics ; Work force ; Employment ; Social security ; Public health ; Households ; Income ; Economic aspects ; Policies / India / Delhi
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H049910)
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/0972063420935542
https://vlibrary.iwmi.org/pdf/H049910.pdf
https://vlibrary.iwmi.org/pdf/H049910.pdf
(0.60 MB) (612 KB)
This article discussed some of the important issues regarding the effect of epidemics like COVID-19 on the migrant population. These impacts are most troubling for low-income households, which are less well positioned to cope with earnings losses during a recession, have no alternative earnings and have no social security available. Most of these workers earn little more than a subsistence wage and have no other means to protect their incomes if they lose their jobs. Migrant workers constitute quite a large proportion of such vulnerable population.
Millions of migrant workers are anticipated to be left unemployed in India due to the lockdown and subsequent fear of recession. Many of the migrant workers have returned to their villages, and many more are just waiting for the lockdown to be lifted. The risk is particularly higher for those who are working in unorganised sectors, and those who do not have writer contracts, or those whose contracts are at the verge of completion. The lockdown and the subsequent recession are likely to first hit contract workers across many of the industries.
On the one hand, lockdowns and social distancing measures are drying up jobs and incomes, whereas they are likely to disrupt agricultural production, transportation systems, and supply chains on the other. This poses a challenge of ensuring food security and controlling already rampant malnutrition, particularly among children, which is likely to result in increased infant and child mortality. There is a need to relook at the national migration policies, which should accommodate the assistance and protection of migrants arriving from, or faced with the prospect of returning to, areas affected by health crises. Also, there is a need to establish resilient food systems that could reduce food insecurity and the pressure to return to origin among migrants.
Millions of migrant workers are anticipated to be left unemployed in India due to the lockdown and subsequent fear of recession. Many of the migrant workers have returned to their villages, and many more are just waiting for the lockdown to be lifted. The risk is particularly higher for those who are working in unorganised sectors, and those who do not have writer contracts, or those whose contracts are at the verge of completion. The lockdown and the subsequent recession are likely to first hit contract workers across many of the industries.
On the one hand, lockdowns and social distancing measures are drying up jobs and incomes, whereas they are likely to disrupt agricultural production, transportation systems, and supply chains on the other. This poses a challenge of ensuring food security and controlling already rampant malnutrition, particularly among children, which is likely to result in increased infant and child mortality. There is a need to relook at the national migration policies, which should accommodate the assistance and protection of migrants arriving from, or faced with the prospect of returning to, areas affected by health crises. Also, there is a need to establish resilient food systems that could reduce food insecurity and the pressure to return to origin among migrants.
6 Suhardiman, Diana; Rigg, J.; Bandur, M.; Marschke, M.; Miller, M. A.; Pheuangsavanh, N.; Sayatham, M.; Taylor, D. 2021. On the coattails of globalization: migration, migrants and COVID-19 in Asia. Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies, 47(1):88-109. [doi: https://doi.org/10.1080/1369183X.2020.1844561]
Migration ; Migrants ; Migrant labour ; Labour mobility ; COVID-19 ; Pandemics ; Sustainable livelihoods ; Globalization ; Working conditions ; Unemployment ; Remuneration ; Uncertainty ; Social aspects ; Economic aspects ; Households / Asia / Bangladesh / India / Lao People's Democratic Republic / Myanmar / Singapore / Thailand / China
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H050115)
(1.73 MB)
Positioning migrants as quintessential globalisation subjects, this paper reveals how the COVID-19 pandemic has exposed the ambivalent positioning of migration as a pathway for human development. Drawing on interviews with international and domestic labour migrants from Bangladesh, India, Laos and Myanmar working in Laos, Myanmar, China, Singapore and Thailand, the paper explores the vulnerabilities, challenges and opportunities that have come with migration and how these have been reconfigured as the pandemic has progressed, disproportionately heightening migrants’ exposure to the virus and their socioeconomic precarity. Through their personal stories, the paper provides insights into the evolving livelihood pathways of migrant workers during the course of the COVID-19 pandemic, their (changing) views of migration as a route to progress, and tentatively sets out how ruptures caused by the pandemic may lead to a re-thinking of livelihood pathways for such men and women and their families.
7 Nicol, Alan; Abdoubaetova, A.; Wolters, A.; Kharel, A.; Murzakolova, A.; Gebreyesus, A.; Lucasenco, E.; Chen, F.; Sugden, F.; Sterly, H.; Kuznetsova, I.; Masotti, M.; Vittuari, M.; Dessalegn, Mengistu; Aderghal, M.; Phalkey, N.; Sakdapolrak, P.; Mollinga, P.; Mogilevskii, R.; Naruchaikusol, S. 2020. Between a rock and a hard place: early experience of migration challenges under the Covid-19 pandemic. Colombo, Sri Lanka: International Water Management Institute (IWMI). 22p. (IWMI Working Paper 195) [doi: https://doi.org/10.5337/2020.216]
Migration ; COVID-19 ; Pandemics ; Labour market ; Migrant labour ; Unemployment ; Livelihoods ; Health hazards ; Income ; Remittances ; Economic activities ; Poverty ; Social inequalities ; Food supply ; Households ; Rural areas ; State intervention ; Governance ; Quarantine ; Travel restrictions ; Border closures ; Policies ; Assessment ; Uncertainty / China / Ethiopia / Kyrgyzstan / Republic of Moldova / Morocco / Nepal / Thailand
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: IWMI Record No: H050125)
(1.92 MB)
This working paper was produced under the European Union Horizon 2020 funded AGRUMIG project and traces the impact of Covid-19 on migration trends in seven project countries – China, Ethiopia, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Morocco, Nepal and Thailand.
The context of global migration has changed dramatically due to the coronavirus pandemic. Both within and between countries there has been a substantial curtailment of movement. As a result of multiple lockdowns, economic activity has severely declined and labor markets have ground to a halt, with mass unemployment in industrialized economies looming on the horizon. For both migrant hosting and origin countries – some are substantially both – this poses a set of complex development challenges.
Partners of the AGRUMIG project undertook a rapid review of impacts across project countries, exploring the impacts on rural households but also identifying the persistent desire to migrate in spite of restrictions.
The context of global migration has changed dramatically due to the coronavirus pandemic. Both within and between countries there has been a substantial curtailment of movement. As a result of multiple lockdowns, economic activity has severely declined and labor markets have ground to a halt, with mass unemployment in industrialized economies looming on the horizon. For both migrant hosting and origin countries – some are substantially both – this poses a set of complex development challenges.
Partners of the AGRUMIG project undertook a rapid review of impacts across project countries, exploring the impacts on rural households but also identifying the persistent desire to migrate in spite of restrictions.
8 Maharjan, A.; Tuladhar, S.; Hussain, A.; Mishra, A.; Bhadwal, S.; Ishaq, S.; Saeed, B, A.; Sachdeva, I; Ahmad, B.; Ferdous, J.; Hassan, S. M. T. 2021. Can labour migration help households adapt to climate change? evidence from four river basins in South Asia. Climate and Development, 17p. (Online first) [doi: https://doi.org/10.1080/17565529.2020.1867044]
Migrant labour ; Climate change adaptation ; Households ; River basins ; Vulnerability ; Agricultural sector ; Livestock ; Water supply ; Livelihood diversification ; Remittances ; Stakeholders / South Asia / India / Nepal / Bangladesh / Pakistan / Hindu Kush Himalayan Region / Gandaki River Basin / Indus River Basin / Upper Ganga River Basin / Teesta River Basin
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H050232)
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/17565529.2020.1867044?needAccess=true
https://vlibrary.iwmi.org/pdf/H050232.pdf
https://vlibrary.iwmi.org/pdf/H050232.pdf
(1.86 MB) (1.86 MB)
The study focuses on four river basins, Gandaki, Indus, Upper Ganga and Teesta, in the Hindu Kush Himalayan (HKH) region in South Asia. The region is considered one of the more environmentally vulnerable areas in the world due to recurrent natural hazards that can be exacerbated by future climate change. The dependence of the population on natural resources based livelihoods makes the region particularly vulnerable to adverse climate change impacts. Labour migration can help household adaptation, particularly when it incurs significant cash investment. The paper analyses the determinants of household adaptation, including migration, in three sectors, namely, agriculture, livestock, and water. It shows that household adaptation to the negative effects of climate change was very poor in the region, with less than a third of the households undertaking adaptation measures. While labour migration showed a positive influence on household adaptation, it was statistically significant only in agriculture. Nevertheless, migration influenced household adaptation indirectly through livelihood diversification, access to services provide of external stakeholders, and changes in household composition. The study identified location, access to climate information, and services provided by external stakeholders as important factors in household adaptation to climate change.
9 Choithani, C.; van Duijne, R. J.; Nijman, J. 2021. Changing livelihoods at India’s rural–urban transition. World Development, 146:105617. (Online first) [doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.worlddev.2021.105617]
Rural urban migration ; Migrant labour ; Sustainable livelihoods ; Urbanization ; Households ; Villages ; Towns ; Agriculture ; Food security ; Strategies / India / West Bengal / Bihar / Barharia / Lalgola
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H050524)
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0305750X21002321/pdfft?md5=55aed878d42a0fa8ece200583762d67d&pid=1-s2.0-S0305750X21002321-main.pdf
https://vlibrary.iwmi.org/pdf/H050524.pdf
https://vlibrary.iwmi.org/pdf/H050524.pdf
(4.53 MB) (4.53 MB)
In India, the past couple of decades witnessed, simultaneously, a massive shift of employment out of agriculture, substantial urban growth in heretofore rural regions, and rapid increases in the rates of labor migration. But very little is known about new livelihoods being forged or the whereabouts of these livelihoods. We draw on extensive primary data collected at two sites in West Bengal and Bihar, along with a comprehensive analysis of population census and GIS data, to investigate livelihood transformations and household well-being. We observe large-scale change, exceeding common perceptions of academics and policy makers. While the shift out of agriculture is momentous, alternative local livelihoods are scarce and, more than ever, labor migration offers a way out for many households. Traditional seasonal migration has made way for more permanent forms of circular labor migration. Our comparative study shows that the timing and nature of this transformation varies to some extent across India as the decline in agricultural employment occurred at different times. We also observe significantly different impacts of domestic versus international labor migration. There is a pressing need for pro-active government policies that stimulate local economic restructuring and livelihood opportunities and, as long as these local economies are insufficiently developed, that facilitate circular labor migration.
10 Gupta, S.; Kharel, A.; Sugden, F. 2022. Migration and COVID-19 in context: labor migration and the agriculture sector in Nepal. [Policy Brief of the Migration Governance and Agricultural and Rural Change (AGRUMIG) Project]. London, UK: SOAS University of London. 8p. (AGRUMIG Policy Brief Series 5)
Migration ; Migrant labour ; Agricultural sector ; COVID-19 ; Pandemics ; Labour mobility ; Governance ; Agricultural policies ; State intervention ; Smallholders ; Farmers ; Employment ; Households / Nepal
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H051230)
(3.11 MB)
11 Dessalegn, Mengistu; Nicol, Alan. 2022. Migration and COVID-19 in context: labor migration in Ethiopia and its implications for policy responses. [Policy Brief of the Migration Governance and Agricultural and Rural Change (AGRUMIG) Project]. London, UK: SOAS University of London. 8p. (AGRUMIG Policy Brief Series 6)
Migration ; Migrant labour ; COVID-19 ; Pandemics ; Labour mobility ; Policies ; Governance ; State intervention ; Employment ; Livelihoods ; Remittances ; Rural areas ; Households / Ethiopia
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H051231)
(4.19 MB)
12 Naruchaikusol, S. 2022. Migration returnee database and contribution to local development in Thailand. [Policy Brief of the Migration Governance and Agricultural and Rural Change (AGRUMIG) Project]. London, UK: SOAS University of London. 8p. (AGRUMIG Policy Brief Series 7)
Migration ; Migrant labour ; Databases ; Community development ; Governance ; State intervention ; Employment ; Remittances ; Social capital ; Policies ; Agriculture ; Households / Thailand
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H051232)
(2.82 MB)
13 Kharel, A.; Sugden, F.; Dessalegn, Mengistu. 2023. Labor shortage and changes in land use patterns: experiences from migrant communities in Ethiopia and Nepal. [Policy Brief of the Migration Governance and Agricultural and Rural Change (AGRUMIG) Project]. London, UK: SOAS University of London. 7p. (AGRUMIG Policy Brief Series 11)
Labour shortage ; Land use change ; Migrant labour ; Migration ; Communities ; Governance ; Agriculture ; Mechanization ; Cropping patterns ; Policies ; Farmers ; Households / Ethiopia / Nepal / Bhojpur / Dhanusha / Gamo Highlands
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H051760)
(760 KB)
14 Nienkerke, I. M.; Thorat, A.; Patt, A. 2023. From distress migration to selective migration: transformative effects of agricultural development on seasonal migration. World Development Perspectives, 29:100483. [doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.wdp.2022.100483]
Seasonal migration ; Agricultural development ; Rural development ; Mixed farming ; Smallholders ; Land use change ; Sustainable intensification ; Livelihoods ; Households ; Villages ; Assessment ; Innovation ; Sustainability ; Migrant labour ; Irrigated land / India / Rajasthan / Gujarat / Maharashtra / Karnataka
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H051796)
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2452292922000911/pdfft?md5=4eb5b2b636d9898c07e2f4019f6e6ae0&pid=1-s2.0-S2452292922000911-main.pdf
https://vlibrary.iwmi.org/pdf/H051796.pdf
https://vlibrary.iwmi.org/pdf/H051796.pdf
(3.58 MB) (3.58 MB)
Mostly for survival rather than wellbeing or profit, seasonal migration is a deeply entrenched but burdensome coping strategy among the rural poor who face seasonal livelihood insecurity, trapping many in a vicious cycle of chronic poverty and seasonal migration. Can rural agricultural development programs effectively transform these livelihoods and places of seasonal migration?
Following a mixed-methods approach, including a survey of 1,860 randomly sampled households in the states of Rajasthan, Gujarat, Maharashtra, and Karnataka in India, we assess the potential of the Wadi program, which supports integrated farming systems, to boost the farmers’ agricultural productivity and to change their deeply entrenched but burdensome coping strategy of seasonal migration. When comparing participants of the program with non-participants, we find a significant reduction in the intensity and frequency of seasonal migration, as well as spillover effects – that is, not only the participants but also whole villages profit from an enhanced local economy. We further analyze the general challenges and migration pattern of seasonal migrants, including the factors that play a role in the decision to seasonally migrate. We find that it is crucial to change the reasons underlying seasonal migration in order to enable the development from distress to selective migration. This study’s results imply the benefits to be gained from scaling up the Wadi concept and provide evidence of its positive impacts as a contribution to the science–policy dialogue about development programs.
Following a mixed-methods approach, including a survey of 1,860 randomly sampled households in the states of Rajasthan, Gujarat, Maharashtra, and Karnataka in India, we assess the potential of the Wadi program, which supports integrated farming systems, to boost the farmers’ agricultural productivity and to change their deeply entrenched but burdensome coping strategy of seasonal migration. When comparing participants of the program with non-participants, we find a significant reduction in the intensity and frequency of seasonal migration, as well as spillover effects – that is, not only the participants but also whole villages profit from an enhanced local economy. We further analyze the general challenges and migration pattern of seasonal migrants, including the factors that play a role in the decision to seasonally migrate. We find that it is crucial to change the reasons underlying seasonal migration in order to enable the development from distress to selective migration. This study’s results imply the benefits to be gained from scaling up the Wadi concept and provide evidence of its positive impacts as a contribution to the science–policy dialogue about development programs.
15 Lamba, A.; Sugden, F.; Aderghal, M.; Fengbo, C.; Pagogna, R.; Masotti, M.; Dessalegn, Mengistu; Murzakulova, A.; Kharel, A.; Amzil, L.; Stirba, V.; Kuznetsova, I.; Vittuari, M.; Jian, C.; Crivellaro, F.; Naruchaikusol, S.; Lucasenco, E.; Mogilevskii, R.; Mollinga, P.; Phalkey, N.; Bhattarai, S. 2023. Migration governance and agrarian and rural development: comparative lessons from China, Ethiopia, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Morocco, Nepal and Thailand [Policy Brief of the Migration Governance and Agricultural and Rural Change (AGRUMIG) Project]. London, UK: SOAS University of London. 12p. (AGRUMIG Policy Brief Series 25)
Migration ; Governance ; Migrant labour ; Agrarian structure ; Rural development ; Policies ; Employment ; Training ; Impact assessment ; Monitoring and evaluation ; Financing ; Political aspects ; Communities / China / Ethiopia / Kyrgyzstan / Republic of Moldova / Morocco / Nepal / Thailand
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H052005)
(2.28 MB)
The purpose of this policy brief is to draw together key comparative lessons on different types of migration governance interventions in the AGRUMIG project research regions and examine how they support positive feedback loops between migration and agrarian and rural development. This exploration offers stories of success and omission. Moving beyond the elusive triple-win situation on the benefits of migration for destination and origin countries, migrants themselves and the highly politicized domain of the migration-development nexus, our point of departure is that there are vital prospects for augmenting the positive impacts of migration for societies globally. This brief focuses on how migration governance interventions are potentially useful in maximizing the gains between migration and agrarian development in the sending communities in China, Ethiopia, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Morocco, Nepal and Thailand.
16 Naruchaikusol, S. 2023. How should we enhance the pre-departure and post-migration training program for Thai overseas migrant workers? [Policy Brief of the Migration Governance and Agricultural and Rural Change (AGRUMIG) Project]. London, UK: SOAS University of London. 8p. (AGRUMIG Policy Brief Series 13)
Migration ; Migrant labour ; Training programmes ; Foreign workers ; Employment ; Agreements ; Remittances ; Government / Thailand
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H052041)
(1.67 MB)
This brief focuses on international labor migration through a bilateral agreement and pre-departure training program in four major destination countries.
Migration has been a common strategy for rural households to cope with fluctuations in agricultural production and prices, land pressure, and income diversification. Internal labor migration between rural and urban areas is most often for work in construction, manufacturing and services in industrial estate areas in cities including Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Phitsanulok, Khon Kaen, Nakhon Ratchasima, Ayutthaya, Chonburi, and Rayong. Many people leave Thailand to find work abroad, where there are better income and job prospects.
Migration has been a common strategy for rural households to cope with fluctuations in agricultural production and prices, land pressure, and income diversification. Internal labor migration between rural and urban areas is most often for work in construction, manufacturing and services in industrial estate areas in cities including Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Phitsanulok, Khon Kaen, Nakhon Ratchasima, Ayutthaya, Chonburi, and Rayong. Many people leave Thailand to find work abroad, where there are better income and job prospects.
17 Maharjan, S.; Sah, K. K.; Sugden, F.; Kharel, A. 2023. Migration governance and agricultural and rural change: findings from a consultation workshop in Madhesh Province of Nepal [Policy Brief of the Migration Governance and Agricultural and Rural Change (AGRUMIG) Project]. London, UK: SOAS University of London. 13p. (AGRUMIG Policy Brief Series 26)
Migration ; Governance ; Agriculture ; Rural areas ; Migrant labour ; Employment ; Farmers ; Fisheries ; Fertilizers ; Local government ; Policies ; Women / Nepal / Madhesh / Janakpurdham
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H052148)
(908 KB)
In the year 2021/22 alone, over 100,000 labor permits were issued to migrant workers from Madhesh Province for employment primarily in countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and Malaysia. Saudi Arabia and Qatar received the largest number of Nepali migrants from Madhesh Province with 37,822 and 36,358, respectively, in 2021/22. This brief presents key points raised and discussed at a workshop organized in Janakpur, the capital of Madhesh Province of Nepal, on July 12, 2022, on agricultural and rural changes in the context of this high rate of international labor migration from the province. The workshop provided a unique opportunity to bring together farmers, returnee migrants, academics and relevant representatives from the provincial government to generate a dialogue around the divergent outcomes of migrant labor for rural communities, and the barriers and opportunities to harness remittances to support rural development.
18 Aryal, P.; Kharel, A. 2023. Does pre-departure orientation protect labor migrants?: examining pre-departure interventions in Nepal. [Policy Brief of the Migration Governance and Agricultural and Rural Change (AGRUMIG) Project]. London, UK: SOAS University of London. 12p. (AGRUMIG Policy Brief Series 10)
Migration ; Governance ; Migrant labour ; Foreign workers ; Rural areas ; Government ; Justice / Nepal / Kathmandu
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H052217)
(1.33 MB)
19 Murzakulova, A. 2023. Kyrgyzstan overview. [Policy Brief of the Migration Governance and Agricultural and Rural Change (AGRUMIG) Project]. London, UK: SOAS University of London. 4p. (AGRUMIG Policy Brief Series 18)
Migration ; Migrant labour ; Labour mobility ; Labour market ; Households ; Rural areas ; Remittances ; Villages ; Livestock ; Cultivation ; Governance ; Policies ; Communities / Kyrgyzstan
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H052212)
(2.03 MB)
20 Kharel, A.; Sugden, F.; Gupta, S. 2023. Outmigration and labor mobility issues and policies in Nepal. [Policy Brief of the Migration Governance and Agricultural and Rural Change (AGRUMIG) Project]. London, UK: SOAS University of London. 8p. (AGRUMIG Policy Brief Series 21)
Migration ; Migrant labour ; Labour mobility ; Governance ; Policies ; Household ; Livelihoods ; Remittances ; Women / Nepal
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H052211)
(5.37 MB)
Nepal’s labor migration history dates back to the colonial period in India when Nepali youths were recruited in the army of the East India Company in the early 19th century, and even prior to this period, Nepali men served in the army of Shikh ruler Ranjit Singh in Punjab (included territories of present-day India and Pakistan). This was followed by seasonal and longer-term labor migration to India. In the last 30 years, migration has reached exceptionally high levels, with the new generation of labor migrants heading to the Gulf States and Malaysia, as well as other destinations such as South Korea, Japan, Poland and Romania. The 1981 Nepali census classified over 400,000 household members as ‘absentees’ (those who were away or intend to be away from home for six or more months) and this increased to about 2.2 million by 2021. The destination of migrants over these years changed considerably. While in 1980, an overwhelming majority (93%) went to India, from the 1990s onwards, this shifted to the Arabian Gulf States and Malaysia, which accounted for over 90% of migrants by the 2010s, with fewer than 10% continuing to travel to India.
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