Moving From Principle to Practice: Provision of Social Welfare to Internal Migrants in India to Enhance Work Opportunities

9 December 2018
ABOUT THIS Report

This report discusses the need for social protection for migrant workers in India, particularly in the construction sector, given its high mobility and vulnerability among workers.

The study examines India’s social protection architecture from the perspective of the inclusion of migrant workers, with a special focus on building and construction workers.

In India, the urbanisation process is driven by the in-situ densification of and economic transformation of villages. Short-term labour migration is estimated at 40-100 million, with workers preferring to participate in urban labour markets without relocating permanently. The study examines the potential migration incentives based on wage differentials and highlights that social protection, which is often tied to location and is not portable, hinders migration. Thus, it advocates for enhanced social protection to support rural-urban migrants, reducing migration costs, and encourages more sustainable long-term migration choices. It suggests tapping into opportunities that already exist within the social protection framework, with a focus on migrant construction workers as a crucial target group.

The study acknowledges that India is gradually moving towards increased universalisation and portability of benefits, but also underscores the need to involve and motivate local bureaucracy and civil society in more than just the design of programs in principle; they must be involved in the practical implementation of social protection schemes.

This report was featured as a chapter in “People on the Move: Advancing the Discourse on Migration & Jobs“- a joint report co-authored by the global partners of JustJobs Network.