Rural-Urban Migration

Because of several reasons such as lack of gainful employment coupled with poverty in rural areas, people have to move to the urban centers in search of a better existence. Most of the migrants do not possess the skills or the education to allow them to find good paid safe and sound employment in the formal sector, and therefore are forced to settle for work in the informal sector. Studies on the international level have shown that the low skilled rural migrants live in all Asian countries, but they are more established in the poorer countries such as Nepal, India, Bangladesh, Cambodia and Vietnam.(Bhowmik, 2005)
Over the past few years the informal sector has experienced rapid growth in developing countries. It is generally said that the rapid

Aim

To analyze the sustainability of livelihood strategies of migrant labour. Significance of the Study

Informal sector has been many times interpreted as illegal sector. The implications of this are the consequences that the workers employed under this sector faces. The informal sector adds many times to the growth and to the urban informal growth. On the other hand, rural- urban migration is so essential for the growth of the cities.
Over the time cities have experienced and researchers have seen the increase and importance of rural-urban migration as well as informal sector in the growth and functioning of the cities. Though the informal sector provides an opportunity for the workers to get employment, they are more usually marginalized from the development agenda.
Hence, the focuses on the inter linkages of the rural-urban migration and the informal sector and how one phenomenon supports the other and in which ways. Also, what is significant for both to survive.

Chapter 2

Streams differ in destination, origin, migrant characteristics and duration. Economic and social impacts on migrants and their families are variable. Migration often involves poor working and living conditions long working hours, social isolation and poor access to basic amenities. At destination, migrant labour affects markets, lowering the cost of labour. Migration also affects the labour market at the place of origin. Migrant earnings affect income, expenditure patterns and investment and changes relations at household level as well as community levels. While there seems to be some positive impact on incomes and investment, the major function of migration is to act as a ‘safety valve’ in poor areas. (Srivastava, Ravi,