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The plight of migrants during COVID-19 and the impact of circular migration in India: a systematic review

Author

Listed:
  • Joshy Jesline

    (Central University of Karnataka)

  • John Romate

    (Central University of Karnataka)

  • Eslavath Rajkumar

    (Central University of Karnataka)

  • Allen Joshua George

    (Central University of Karnataka)

Abstract

As per the reports of WHO, the COVID-19, first reported in December 2019, put the whole world in an unprecedented crisis and lingering uncertainty with innumerable deaths, generalised economic depression, unemployment, quarantine, unavoidable lockdown, and travel-ban that was imposed globally as a necessity to tackle the pandemic. Among the populace, the migrants were found to be one of the most vulnerable groups in this lockdown, as their very livelihood came to a complete standstill. This review-paper aims to investigate in detail the multiple facets of adversities the migrants went through in India during the lockdown and the socio-psychological impact of circular migration. Following the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) guidelines, studies on migrant workers during COVID-19 and on circular migration were searched. Database searches on Scopus, PubMed, and PsychNet and manual searches on Google Scholar were carried out. From the initially identified 15,697 articles, 15 articles that met the inclusion criteria were chosen for review. The findings highlight the different plight of the migrants, who had the pressing need to head back home to safety despite the acute financial crisis and the travel problems. The poor quality of the relief camps with meagre rations and lack of facilities especially put the women and children in distress and generated a lot of psychosocial issues. The present study urges the mental health-care professionals to groom themselves for facing the challenges of a surge in mental illnesses by taking necessary measures. It also emphasises the need to establish a strong ethical alliance between the local population, health systems, local government mechanisms, and human rights associations in order to take a relook at the national migration policies.

Suggested Citation

  • Joshy Jesline & John Romate & Eslavath Rajkumar & Allen Joshua George, 2021. "The plight of migrants during COVID-19 and the impact of circular migration in India: a systematic review," Palgrave Communications, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 8(1), pages 1-12, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:pal:palcom:v:8:y:2021:i:1:d:10.1057_s41599-021-00915-6
    DOI: 10.1057/s41599-021-00915-6
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Deshingkar, Priya & Akter, Shaheen, 2009. "Migration and Human Development in India," MPRA Paper 19193, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    2. R. B. Bhagat & Reshmi R S, 2020. "The COVID-19, Migration and Livelihood in India," Working Papers id:13054, eSocialSciences.
    3. Ram B Bhagat & Reshmi R.S. & Sahoo, Harihar & Archana K. Roy & Dipti Govil, 2020. "The COVID-19, Migration and Livelihood in India: Challenges and Policy Issues," Migration Letters, Migration Letters, vol. 17(5), pages 705-718, September.
    4. Adovich S Rivera & Maxwell Akanbi & Linda C O’Dwyer & Megan McHugh, 2020. "Shift work and long work hours and their association with chronic health conditions: A systematic review of systematic reviews with meta-analyses," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 15(4), pages 1-19, April.
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    1. Mahata, Sushobhan & Khan, Rohan Kanti & Chaudhuri, Sarbajit & Nag, Ranjanendra Narayan, 2022. "COVID-19 lockdown, family migration and unemployment in a gendered society," Research in Economics, Elsevier, vol. 76(3), pages 218-236.
    2. Kandaswamy Paramasivan & Brinda Subramani & Nandan Sudarsanam, 2022. "Counterfactual analysis of the impact of the first two waves of the COVID-19 pandemic on the reporting and registration of missing people in India," Palgrave Communications, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 9(1), pages 1-14, December.
    3. Arora, Varun & Chakravarty, Sujoy & Kapoor, Hansika & Mukherjee, Shagata & Roy, Shubhabrata & Tagat, Anirudh, 2023. "No going back: COVID-19 disease threat perception and male migrants' willingness to return to work in India," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 209(C), pages 533-546.
    4. Fatemeh Hamedanian, 2022. "Access to the European Labor Market for Immigrant Women in the Wake of the COVID Pandemic," World, MDPI, vol. 3(4), pages 1-22, November.
    5. Mishal Alice Mathews & Geert De Neve & Sonja Ayeb-Karlsson, 2023. "Dimensions of wellbeing and recognitional justice of migrant workers during the COVID-19 lockdown in Kerala, India," Palgrave Communications, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 10(1), pages 1-10, December.

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