‘Technological and economic transformations emphasized the role of skills and its importance to international migrants’

In the post Covid-19 situation, shifting global economies and emergence of new technologies have made it necessary to strengthen migration management frameworks in order to improve labour migration opportunities for aspiring Indian migrants, Sanjay Bhattacharyya, Secretary CPV&OIA on Tuesday said.

“Accurate and harmonized data and innovative research are essential for the development of evidence-based migrant-centred policies. Data gives us a sense of demands in destination countries and projected flow of migrants. Data capture allows us to strengthen our intervention and make evidence based policies,” the MEA Secretary said at the launch of India Centre for Migration--International Organisation for Migration’s joint project on “Strengthening data-informed and migrant-centred migration management frameworks in India.”

The ICM-IOM led project comes at a time when post-Covid recovery efforts to address the issues of international migration have gained momentum.

The project will study (a) best practices with regard to international migration data management to strengthen evidence-based policy making, and (b) explore opportunities for new migration corridors based on sectoral data and trends.

A key objective of the study is to augment practical information for aspiring Indian migrants in emerging sectors in new destinations. An analysis of evidence-based best practices will strengthen the mechanisms for migration governance.

The project also aims to provide a gender-sensitive strategy, in line with the objectives of the government to adopt and mainstream a gender-sensitive approach and policies.

The joint studies under the project will also examine the impact of changes in technology, economic environment and the Covid-19 situation; explore possibilities for skilling and for concluding bilateral and multilateral agreements; and analyse evidence-based approaches for safe, legal, smart and sustainable migration.

Considering the dynamic nature of the labour market with changing demand for skills, data-focused migration governance will be vital for effective and dynamic policy making.

It will facilitate implementation of government’s migrant-centric and evidence-based policies to better address migrant interests and also enhance labour market opportunities for Indian workers, in both traditional and new destinations.