Social Protection and Livelihoods - Marginalised Migrant Workers of India and Bangladesh

Social protection has become an important term in development discussions, covering protective transfers, services, and formal or informal safeguards available to protect people in need or at risk. Migration can offer a safety net for poorer people seeking alternative livelihoods, but it also deprives many of access to formal and informal support systems. Social protection issues arise at every stage of migration: before departure, in transit, at destination, and upon return. These affect internal and international migrants, regardless of their regular or irregular status, as well as their family members. The essays in this volume explore several sub-themes, including the measures and services migrants miss when they move, the informal measures families take in their absence, what migrants themselves do to secure protection at their destination, and the role of the state and non-government sectors in providing such protection at both origin and destination. Based on empirical research conducted in Bangladesh and India, the volume also examines female migration, particularly regarding social protection concerns of rural migrants in Bangladesh. It addresses questions about how much social protection vulnerable migrant workers and those they leave behind actually receive from the state and other formal agencies. This book will be useful for scholars, students, and development partners seeking an integrated social protection strategy for migrants.