Visibilising Invisible Population: e-Shram Portal and Essentiality of Internal Migration Database in India

Abstract

Despite their contribution in boosting the economy, internal migrants remain invisible to policymakers. The sudden lockdown imposed by the Indian government post-COVID-19 and internal migrants’ unpreparedness created a deplorable and unprecedented situation for them in various cities. The crisis has reinforced the need to understand the dynamics and intersectionality of mobility and the disaggregated database of migrants. It has also called for implementing a comprehensive migration policy for internal workers. To create a credible database, registration of internal migrants should be the first and foremost task for policymakers. To this end, steps have been taken to set up an ‘e-Shram Portal’, an initiative of the central government of India directed by the Supreme Court. This article aims to shed light on the need for identification and registration of internal migrants so that their importance in policymaking is realised and the government could address the challenges involved in the process. Integrating migrants into development is a comprehensive and challenging process.