Internal Migration Within South Asia

Ujjaini Mukhopadhyay is Associate Professor in the Department of Economics at Behala College, Kolkata, India. She obtained her Ph.D. from Calcutta University, India, in 2005. Her papers have been published in reputed journals such as Journal of International Trade and Economic Development, Energy Policy, The Environmentalist, Review of Urban and Regional Development Studies, to name a few. She has served the University of Calcutta as Visiting Faculty. She has also co-authored two books titled Revisiting the Informal Sector: A General Equilibrium Approach and Foreign Direct Investment in Developing Countries: A Theoretical Evaluation (Springer). She received the Emerald Literati Award from Emerald Publishing, UK, for Outstanding Paper in 2019.

This book critically discusses the multi-dimensional contemporary issues within the ambit of the driving forces, mechanisms, vulnerability, and opportunities of the intra-region human movement in South Asia. It covers different dimensions of cross-border migration within South Asia as well as internal migration particularly in India, reflecting upon both voluntary and forced movements. It traces the trajectory and past trends in migration in the South Asian countries. It evaluates the vulnerability of refugees and stateless vis-à-vis state policies. Issues regarding Rohingya refugees from Myanmar to Bangladesh, Nepalese immigration to India, the crisis around Sri Lankan Tamil refugees, Afghan returnee refugees from Pakistan and Iran, resettlement of Bhutanese refugees are explored in the chapters. It also analyzes the impact on wage inequality due to emigration, the crucial role of social capital in migration decisions, and socio-economic vulnerabilities of women migrants in India.This book provides a clear understanding of international and internal migration in South Asia for students and academics, and a valuable resource for policy-makers and planners in development studies, regional development, and South Asian studies.