Migration and development: A review article

Dyamics of Migration in Kerala is a comprehensive analysis of the volume, characteristics, determinants, causes and consequences of migration from Kerala. It is a story not only of how a once in-migrating State became a predominantly out-migrating and an emigrating State, but also of how the transformation affected the migrants and other members of their households, particularly the women, and the old among them. The authors draw a balance sheet of the positive and negative impact of migration on the demography, society and economy of the State. They identify the Kerala pattern of development as the root cause of out-migration. They fault it for emphasising social sectors, neglect of the goods sector and institutions that set in place the right kind of incentives, and a deficiency of infrastructure conducive to the development of the commodity sector. The authors do not think migration could be a sustainable strategy of development. They recommend for the short and medium term, policies to diversify destinations and impart training in skills that were in demand in foreign destinations so as to avoid the catastrophic effect of a sudden closure of the Middle East. The DCs are in no mood to liberalise entry restrictions, and this too is a critical factor.