Health System and Policy Analysis: Why there Is a Need for a Paradigm Shift in Our Approach to Improve Health Status of Brick-Kiln Migrant Workers?

Author(s): Fnu Kajal

Urbanization is a global phenomenon, and as economies shift from rural-based subsistence toward service-based economies, net migration is bound to happen. Unfortunately, migration needs to be better understood in India. The real challenge is to define what a migrant is. Who is a migrant? According to the International Organization for Migration (IOM), the term “migrant” is an umbrella term not defined under international law, reflecting the common understanding of a person who moves away from their place of usual residence, whether within a country or across an international border, temporarily or permanently, and for a variety of reasons [1]. The census has always fascinated demographers and is the prime resource for identifying migration patterns. Migration is noted for two factors: migration by place of birth and migration by place of last residence [2]. It also captures the reasons for migration. NSSO (National Sample Survey Office) surveys, part of the Ministry of Statistics and Program Implementation (MOSPI), define migrants into three categories- migrant households, migrants, and short-term migrants. Though incomplete, these are valuable data sources for gaining insight into the trends in migration patterns. Therefore, we understand that migration exists in many forms, and it is challenging to define migrants using only one definition. However, the abovementioned data sources provide an empirical basis for policy formulation to offer safety nets for the migrant population and better future urban planning.