Are We Truly Global? An Assessment of the Condition of Distressed Migrants

Migration for livelihood is an oft-observed and researched phenomenon. Research on migration has focused on cultural identities, coping mechanisms, social structures and relationships as well as remittances and economic management means. India and Australia are two ends of the spectrum of global and local migration. Both face similar issues when it comes to local migration with large numbers of the population rapidly moving from rural/semi-urban areas to metropolis or urbanized locations. Yet, Australia sees rapid in-migration, while India sees rapid out-migration except in some parts of its geography. This chapter focuses on the trend of migration for economic opportunity and provides a lens to the struggles of migrants in the two varied contexts of India that sees massive migration within the country and Australia, a country that sees both migrations within and from outside the country. Migration is a reality that the entire global population lives with, yet different contexts have different experiences for migrants. While in countries like Australia, one finds that access to basic facilities may not be a challenge; in parts of India, access even basics such as water, energy, safe housing and government-sanctioned schemes are not available easily. Migration has an impact on multiple stakeholders both in the location that receives migrants and to the location that loses population. Areas that are impacted by out-migration often also deal with the ageing of the remaining population and the lack of age-appropriate services for them. On the other hand, locations receiving migrants face and are challenged with severe stress on their resources. In India, for example, resources such as water, public transport, healthcare facilities, housing and energy are planned for, according to the census data which is taken once a decade. This allocation does not account for the rapid migrant influx, and therefore, urban planning remains unable to meet the changing and diversified needs of the population. Policymakers, governments and leaders play a critical role in establishing resources for the migrant communities which then increases migrants’ acceptance in the host nation as well. There is an important role to be played by social workers and counsellors as well in understanding the needs of migrant communities to assist and support them to recover and settle from the process of migration itself.