18 December- International Migrants Day

Fr. John Felix S.J. & Sch. Albinus Hembrom S.J.

One finds people on the move as migrants for various reasons. Some in search of food, some for work, some to escape the horrors of war, some displaced by calamities or due to rights violations etc.

According to UNHCR, the number of globally forcibly displaced people worldwide was 79.5 million at the end of 2019. Of these, 26 million were refugees, 45.7 million people internally displaced, 4.2 million asylum-seekers, and 3.6 million Venezuelans displaced abroad. 

Both natural and man-made disasters push people out of their homes in search of their livelihood. In this inevitable condition they undergo a lot of trials, pain, and hardships. And, often faced with abuse, exploitation and trafficking.

18th December is observed as the International Migrants day to ensure the migrants of their human values, human and fundamental rights and freedoms. This day is also an invitation to governments in terms of social and economic welfare ensuring with migrants’ protection.

In Jharkhand, especially in Santal Pargana, the migration rate is excessively on the rise due to draught and lack of good employment. Earlier, as a post-harvest break people used to go to Bengal for work.  Now the rush is towards the southern states like Tamil Nadu and Kerala.

Agents and middlemen make a business by luring many into human trafficking. Other forms of exploitation and abuse are also reported. Many undergraduates and graduates also flee to end up as casual labourers. Girls are the most vulnerable. A report by Dainik Jagran of 11.07.22 mentions that 32 workers were lured from Kochi to Iduki to work in cardamom plantation. The paper says it was an act of trafficking.

While working with the migrant issue in and around Dumka, we came across three cases of migrant deaths. Their bodies were brought to their native villages and were given due respect during burial according to Santal culture.

Some migrants stranded in Laddakh and working in inhuan conditions were helped to get back home through the intervention of MAIN ( Migrants Assistant Information Network). Some such migrant labourers in Hyderabad also were helped to get back home.

There is much more to be done.