Determinants and Consequences of Cross-Border Migration of Nepalese People to India

Abstract

The movement of people from rural areas in developing countries to cities and across borders, primarily in search of employment, is an inescapable consequence of development and the globalization process. Cross-border migration of Nepalese people to India provides a unique historical setting in which in search of employment has become an increasing reality. Yet little research has been conducted to examine the determinants and consequences of such cross-border migration for the families involved. This study examines determinants and consequences of migration at the family level with a focus on the variable effects of cross-border migration in the areas of origin. The study addressed on vital economic and social research questions borne out of the review of literature. Economic domain included differences in land ownership and size, occupation, income and, indebtedness. The social domain included educational and social participation status between migrants and non migrant households. The study also explores the seasonal variation of the volume of cross border migration, role of ancestors/household experience on cross border migration and flow of current migration, the interrelations between duration of stay at destination and income earning by migrants, effect of poverty on volume of cross border migration, interrelationship between social networks and cross border migration, main areas of investment of remittance, difference between human capital (education and acquired training) and income earnings by migrants. This research examines migrants (current, return and both current and return) and non-migrant households at the family level with focus on variable determinants and consequences of cross- border migration. The analysis is based on quantitative and qualitative data from a field study conducted in April and May 2011 in Daijee Village Development Committee of Kanchanpur, Far-western region of Nepal. After determining the sample size, sampling frame covering all nine wards of Daijee VDC was carried out and 809 out of total 3,712 households in VDC were included in the sample by using systematic random survey. Among them 52.3 per cent were nonmigrants and 47.7 per cent were migrant's households. vi Most of the sample households (80%) in the study area were originated from Hill and Mountain districts of Far and West- development regions of Nepal, among them more than 40 per cent of households were found continuing their ancestral practice of cross-border migration to India. Cross-border migration has been a new source of generating income which has been just practiced among current generation of Tharu community. The age group 15-59 years was nearly 44 times more likely to migrate with compared to those from the age group 0-14 years. Females were 97.2 per cent less likely to migrate than males. Other caste groups were 1.5 times more likely to migrate than upper caste groups. Ever married were nearly two times more likely to migrate than those who had never married. Those with primary education were 2.5 times more likely to migrate than illiterates. Those living in a joint family were 1.4 times more likely to migrate than those living in a nuclear family. Migrants belonging to the third, fourth and fifth wealth quintiles were 34.5 per cent, 40.6 per cent and 45.0 per cent were respectively less likely to migrate than compared with the first quintile. Household's members with middle level social participation index were 22.6 per cent less likely to migrate when compared to household members belonging to the low social participation index category. More than four fifth of migrants crossed the border many times (2 to more than 11 times) and only 14.6 per cent of migrants were crossing the border for the first time. More than two third (66.4%) of cross-border migrants were engaged in physical or unskilled type of labour, more than one-fourth (28.2%) and only (5.4%) of total crossborder migrants were involved on semi skilled and skilled types of labour. All together, 17 hypotheses were set in the study, among them 9 were related with determinants and remaining 8 were related with consequences of cross-border migration. The main hypotheses related with determinants were comparison between nonmigrants and migrant's households of the study area and showed non-migrants households were better off than migrant's households in terms of mean land holding size, mean annual household's income by selling food grains and years of schooling of head of households supporting the hypotheses. The volume of cross-border migration and the lack of employment opportunities at migrants’ place of origin, volume of vii cross-border migration and household's indebtedness, volume of cross-border migration and ancestors’ participation in cross-border migration, volume of crossborder migration and frequencies of migrants’ cross-border migration and volume of cross-border migration migrant's established networks were positively correlated supporting hypotheses. The main hypotheses related with consequences were the duration of stay at the migrant's workplace and increased in the income, improvement in household consumption (food and clothes) and remittances, improvement in education of children and remittances, health and sanitation condition of a household and remittances, earned of physical properties (land and house) by migrant's households and remittances were positively correlated supporting hypotheses. The income of cross-border migrants and the training received (before migration), income of crossborder migrants and educational attainments (before migration), improvements in cash and remittances were positively correlated supporting these hypotheses. Out of total cross-border migrants (89.1%) mentioned that, currently they have no any alternative of cross-border migration to meet their daily needs. Existing poverty and unemployment at the place of origin were respectively reported by 74.4 per cent and 24.1 per cent migrants as compulsion to join cross-border migration. Cross-border migrants themselves and Government staff of both countries working at transit point have very low level of knowledge about rights of migrant's workers and provisions included in Nepal-India Peace and Friendship Treaty of 1950. The study presents a scenario of determinants and consequences of cross-border migration of Nepalese people to India. The socio-economic characteristics of migrant's themselves and their households, level of migrant's knowledge on their rights and perceptions of governments staff of Nepal and India regarding on crossborder migration and existing open border between two countries would be helpful to further analyze in cross-border migration study. Remaining on its base and by analyzing the cost and benefit of cross-border migration, it would be helpful in designing proper and safe cross-border migration policies especially to source country Nepal.