RETURN EMIGRANTS TO INDIA - IN THE WAKE OF COVID 19 - TELANGANA AND ANDHRA PRADESH - India Migration Now
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IN THE WAKE OF COVID 19
RETURN EMIGRANTS TO
INDIA
TELANGANA AND ANDHRA PRADESH
A Policy Brief Series
by India Migration Now
KEY TAKEAWAYS
Emigrants from TS and AP work in labour intensive sectors such as construction, manufacturing, and
domestic work as well as in professional services and business. Key sending districts include
Karimnagar, Nizamabad (TS), and East and West Godavari (AP).
Migrant welfare organisations estimate that nearly 3 million from TS and AP live and work in the Gulf.
Cases in the GCC stand at 156,159 as of 20 May 2020.
Several flights to Hyderabad are expected in the ongoing repatriation operation – some directly
from the Gulf and some from Mumbai/Delhi.
State governments must co-ordinate with the Ministry of External Affairs and migrant welfare
organisations to allow for efficient repatriation and quarantining. Together with the governmental
Non-Resident Telugu Organisations, and learning from the best practices elsewhere, the state
governments should start a developmental planning process to help returnees re-integrate and
rebuild their future.
EMIGRATION AND THE COVID CRISIS
second stage of the VB Mission is in
COVID 19 has brought India’s migration progress, having begun on 16th May, with 31
relationships with the world into sharp focus. countries identified for repatriation flights.
On 7 May 2020, the Ministry of External
Affairs launched the first stage of a
mammoth repatriation operation, Vande
Bharat (VB) aiming to bring expatriates back
METHODOLOGY
from several countries, particularly the Gulf.
The first stage of the mission included 64
The issues and recommendations presented
flights coming in from 12 different countries,
in this brief are based on multiple key
including the Emigration Clearance Required
informant interviews with individuals and
(ECR) nations of UAE, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi
organisations associated with emigration and
Arabia, Bahrain, Oman, Malaysia and the
specifically, the corridor between the GCC
Emigration Clearance Not Required (ECNR)
and Telangana/Andhra Pradesh. We have
nations of USA, UK, Singapore, and
conducted prior fieldwork and stakeholder
Philippines.
interactions in Telangana in April-May of
2019, as well. Between April-May of 2020, our
According to data from the Ministry of
team discussed the immediate and long term
External Affairs, and conversations with
impact for emigration in light of the
migrant welfare groups, Telangana received
pandemic with a variety of stakeholders
flights from Kuwait, Oman, and Saudi Arabia
including national and regional level
in the first stage (routed to Hyderabad
recruiting agencies, national RA federations,
Airport) and will receive more in the second
migrant welfare organisations, NGOs, Gulf
stage. Andhra Pradesh will also receive
based social workers, researchers, and
flights from the same countries as well as
emigrant returnees.
Qatar (also routed to Hyderabad Airport. The
INDIA AND THE GCC
India’s historical migration relationship with
the GCC countries was given impetus by the
"Who has a father in
oil boom of the 1970s, when many other the Gulf?" - in Rampur,
Asian countries also began to send migrants. Telangana
India’s migration history proceeded in four Source: India Migration
phases - (i) massive mobility, primarily from Now, May 2019
the southern states in the 1970s and 80s, (ii)
an initial slowing down in the 90s due to
restrictive immigration policy in the GCC, (iii) a
resurgence of migration in the 2000s, led by
the rise in prices, (iv) changing demographic home to the largest single group of Indian
nature of migration with states such as UP- emigrants.
Bihar-Telangana-Andhra Pradesh becoming
emerging source states from the late 2000s. While there may be a push towards further
A fifth stage in this migration relationship may nationalisation policies in the post-COVID
be imminent in the post-COVID world. Gulf economies, due to the impact of
plummeting oil prices, key industries such as
Unlike other migration corridors, India’s construction, infrastructure, hospitality, and
relationship with the Gulf is a mutually health will need labour. Upcoming high-
beneficial and dependent one. The Gulf profile events in Qatar and UAE may also
economies rely extensively on expatriate spur labour demand. In a competitive labour
workers, particularly from India, in a variety of market, it will be those migrants who remain
crucial industries and job profiles. India is also to weather the crisis or are facilitated to
dependent on the high remittances sent return who will be able to make the most of
home by migrant workers. The GCC is also limited opportunities.
STATE SPECIFIC MIGRATION PATTERNS: TS AND AP
Telangana and Andhra Pradesh share a Adilabad and Medak in TS and YSR, East
longer migration history with the GCC than Godavari, and West Godavari in AP.
the northern states and are largely involved
with labour intensive sectors such as
construction, manufacturing, and domestic
services as well as highly skilled sectors such
as professional services and business. Those
working in the former sectors are particularly
vulnerable, given the cramped nature of
living conditions and relatively lower pay –
they also belong to the category that may
not be able to afford return tickets for the
repatriation flights and payment for
quarantine facilities. Major migrant sending Rampur, Nizamabad in Telangana
Source: India Migration Now, May 2019
districts include Karimnagar, Nizamabad,
“I was working in Kuwait for two months of return migrants – Gulf ‘victims’ who had
when all this started. I chose to return but I lost a lot of money in their migration journey
had spent almost 1,20,000 on visa, and needed relief and rehabilitation. This
stamping fees, air ticket to go in January." issue is likely to amplify in the wake of COVID
19 repatriations as many are returning with
- a return emigrant, Telangana debt burdens and without jobs. other parts of
the country, TS and AP have both set up
government agencies for the purpose of
Migrating abroad for work is a complicated connecting with the Telugu diaspora.
process in India. Those belonging to the ECR
category (without Xth standard education Although neither offer schemes or services
and going to 18 specific countries) require to the extent of the Non-Resident Keralite
clearance from the Protectorate of Emigrants Affairs (NORKA) department of Kerala, they
under the MEA before they can migrate. are an effective step in the direction of
When migrating through an RA, there are leveraging diaspora for development and
costs associated with initial travel and setup dispensing necessary services to members
in the foreign country. For those who come of the diaspora who need it. They may prove
from villages and other rural areas, the crucial in the post COVID recovery and re-
process of exploring migration possibilities – integration of returnees.
travelling to the PoE, connecting with RAs,
skilling themselves – all cost money.
“Workers have to get their full dues before
returning – they are under a lot of financial
The returnee quoted above had migrated to
distress and there may be grievances filed
Kuwait as a cleaner just 3 months ago,
against RAs who may be held responsible
spending more than a lakh, and was only
for these contracts being cancelled.”
able to recoup a fraction of it before having
to come back. Due to the profile of work,
– from a conversation with a national-level
even prior to COVID, AP and Telangana had
RA.
been increasingly grappling with the issues
Stakeholder Specific Breakdown of Key Requirements
THE KERALA RETURNEE MODEL
The Non-Resident Keralites Assoiation (NORKA-Roots) under the Government of Kerala is responsible
for all matters relating to NRKs. In the many years of its existence, NORKA has been crucial to Kerala’s
effective management and protection of its considerable expatriate population. Some of NORKA’s major
schemes include:
PRAVASI ID CARD: a single stop shop for NRKs to connect with 3 year validity, and comes with personal
accident insurance coverage, also available for pravasi students.
SKILLING: programs run with ITIs to skill and certify prospective emigrants and upskill returnees to
better cater to labour market opportunities.NDPRM: a funding scheme, in collaboration with public sector banks, to provide seed capital funding
of 30 lakh to returnees (including capital subsidy and interest rebate incentives), special mentoring
camps for returnees to build their confidence to better take advantage of such schemes.
FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE: for medical expenses, death assistance, marriage, purchase of
medical aids, and repatriation of dead bodies, NORKA runs two program - Santhwan and Karunayam.
POLICY RECOMMMENDATIONS
ThIs section draws upon the existing best practices and institutional set-ups to identify the specific policy
actions that the TS and AP state governments can take.
The table breaks down these recommendations into categories of financial, logistical, and those that
impact the future development process for the state. Each of these recommendations are also
described in more detail.SHORT TERM
Assimilating willing returnees into the National
Many returnees are coming with severe Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme
financial burdens, having lost their jobs and (NREGS) in the medium term, allowing for
likely not recouped migration costs. While some form of employment. Due to massive
quarantine facilities have now been made free reverse migration of internal migrants as well,
and the MEA has announced that workers may many states are aiming to revamp their NREGS
approach their embassies for repatriation at the implementation and leverage the new influx of
cost of the Indian Govt, the most important labour for rural development.
concern that the state governments must strive
to now accommodate is point-to-point Utilising the Telangana Non-Resident Telugu
repatriation. To an extent, this is easier for TS Society (TELNRT) and the Andhra Pradesh
and AP, given the proximity of Hyderabad, Non-Resident Telugu Society (APNRTS) to
where many of the direct repatriation flights are implement skilling programs (along NORKA
coming in. While some have begun to arrange lines) for upskilling (technical and soft skills)
transport at their own cost, many may be unable and deployment along the new migration
to. State governments should formulate a corridors that may develop. Existing skilling
transport plan to take them to their districts and schemes such as the Migrant Economic Re-
villages since intrastate movement for the integration Centre and Vidya Vahini under the
general public is still restricted. A skill mapping APNRTS can also be repurposed to do this
can also be undertaken at this stage to effectively in AP. APNRTS’s existing ties with
understand the skills returnees come with. Gulf-based MNCs can be leveraged to
understand the nature of skills required in the
MEDIUM-LONG TERM re-opened Gulf labour markets and achieve
targeted skilling of returnees. Discussions with
Re-integration and rehabilitation policy will RAs and industry representatives indicate that
have to be the linchpin of developmental while GCC revival may occur faster for
planning for returnee emigrants. Our essential sectors like construction and
conversations with returnees and emigrant manufacturing, the in-demand sectors in other
welfare organisations indicate that many will not corridors are likely to be hospitality,
take on the risk of an international migration healthcare, and IT/ITES.
journey for at least another year. As international
migration corridors revive over the next year, Setting up of an Entrepreneurship Fund (like
the thousands who return will need support in the NDPRM by NORKA) to extend seed capital
multiple areas of life, with women returnees funding to returnees. APNRTS has existing
possibly requiring additional support. Existing schemes to facilitate investment of NRTs in the
policy schemes in other states can provide state, but allowing for financial investment in
guidance as TS and AP prepare for this phase: returnees to set up small/medium enterprises
(MSMEs) will:
Provision of direct cash transfers to 1. Harness and repurpose the skills that
returnees who are in financial distress and returnees come with.
have dependent families. This can be done at 2. Generate new employment for locals and
the point of repatriation or post-quarantine other returnees through new enterprise.
before returnees are taken to their
districts/villages. DBT policies have already Counselling and mental health support for
been set up by Assam (for emigrants), and returnees and their families, during quarantine
Bihar, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Manipur, as well as in the villages. Return Migrant Cells
Telangana and West Bengal for their inter- at the district level to co-ordinate all kinds of
state migrants stranded in other states. support.In the longer term, TELNRT and APNRTS should work together with the Ministry of External
Affairs and the National Skill Development Corporation to help their state residents be the
front-runners in the revival of the India-GCC corridor and newer corridors which develop.
There is also a good likelihood that this return migration is permanent for some - a reverse
migration - in which case support and integration programs such as the ones suggested
above will, in the long term, help them contribute to and be a part of the state's future
development.
All Pictures: India Migration Now, 2019
Authored by: Rohini Mitra
Edits and Inputs: Dr. A. Didar Singh, Varun Aggarwal, Priyansha Singh,
2020 India Migration Now
REFERENCES
Chanda and Gupta, 2018:
http://gulfmigration.org/media/pubs/book/grm2017book_chapter/Volume%20-
%20Migration%20to%20Gulf%20-%20Chapter%209.pdf
Gulf Labour Markets and Migration Database: https://gulfmigration.org/gcc-total-
population-percentage-nationals-foreign-nationals-gcc-countries-national-
statistics-2010-2016-numbers/
Ministry of External Affairs, e-Migrate Portal: https://emigrate.gov.in/ext/
India’s Low-Skilled Migration to the Middle East (Rajan and Saxena, 2019):
https://www.palgrave.com/gp/book/9789811392238
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organisation. IMN uses its niche expertise in migration studies along with an extensive
network of stakeholders and partners in the development sector, academia, industry,
and the media to conduct primary and secondary research, develop interventions for
migrant households, and advocate on behalf of migrants everywhere. Find our work
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