THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Majority of the Malayali workers who returned to the state after losing job due to Covid-19 crisis in the Gulf countries, mostly Saudi Arabia, are keen to migrate again as they are finding it hard to get regular and remunerative jobs here, finds a study on return of migrants conducted for the centre for development studies (CDS).
The findings of the study conducted by economist B A Prakash for CDS also casts light on many important aspects of the “return migration triggered by Covid-19”.
The study was conducted by interviewing 404 migrants who returned from the Gulf belonging to six grama panchayats and five municipalities in Kannur, Kozhikode, Malappuram, Pathanamthitta and Thiruvananthapuram districts. The study has found that 50% of the sample returnees were from Saudi Arabia, 19% from the UAE, 11% from Qatar, 7% each from Oman and Bahrain and 6% from Kuwait.
Most of the sample returnees (54%), who came on leave to the state, could not go back due to Covid-19 crisis.
The study found that 71% of the sample workers who returned to the state are unemployed. The rest of the returnees work as casual workers and engage in small trade or business or work as autorickshaw drivers. As much as 88% of the sample returnees said migration is still a better option than finding a job in Kerala.
The study found that more than one fifth of the returnee households belonged to poor/BPL households. Based on the findings, the study has assessed that the share of returnees from Saudi Arabia who remain in Kerala is around 80%.
“Of the total 14.71 lakh Keralites who returned due to Covid-19 induced crisis, the returnees who remain in Kerala will be around 3.32 lakh,” the study said.
The study has made several policy suggestions to address the crisis. It includes bank loan for emigration, interest-free loan for self-employment and transfer of APL ration card to BPL for eligible emigrant families.
It also suggests announcement of an anti-recession package for three districts -- Malappuram, Kozhikode and Kannur -- that have the largest number of returnees.
