Text of the Lecture

Population movement is a ‘strategy of survival’ for varied reasons related to political, economic, and environmental issues. The two widely discussed groups in population movement are:

i) Unwanted migrants - These are people not wanted by the host country but are accommodated for ethnic or political reasons like the Bangladeshis and Nepalese in India; and

ii) Rejected people or refugees – Examples of this category are the Kurds in Iraq, Chakmas in Bangladesh, Rohingyas in Myanmar. These are the least accepted people.

We can add a third group namely, ‘patronised migrants’. These are people who are, not only accepted, but at times, desired by the host country for reasons like cheap labour. Indians in the US fall within this category.

There are other macro and micro facets of population movement. Often times the micro aspect is completely overlooked while emphasizing the macro aspect. Macro movements entail crossing of international borders while micro movements are confined to a circumscribed border like national or state boundaries. The problem of enforcement is the biggest hurdle in tackling population movements across borders. Resolving this practical problem would enable population movement. The three main causes of population movements are:

• Political - arising out of political persecution in the home country;

• Economic - arising out of lure for a better standard of living than is provided by the home country; and

• Environmental - arising out of a need to protect oneself from natural calamities like floods, drought, soil erosion etc. However, the economic factor is the most powerful motivating force for migration in South Asia. 

Population movements trigger strategic and criminal issues. India’s assistance to Bangladeshi refuges is an example of the former category. Political patronage provided to criminal gangs on both sides of the Indo-Bangladesh border is an example of the latter. Some notable impacts of population movement are: i) demographic change or change in population complexion ii) electoral change leading to vote bank politics iii) socio-cultural impact iv) security concerns v) environmental concerns like denuding of forests.

Since population movement is inevitable, how should it be managed?

The problems caused by population movements are not impossible to address, but there is a lack of political will to solve them. No coherent government policy exists because of diverse political views on the issue. Government in power adopt positions that are often in variance with overall national interest. Some of the solutions suggested are as follows:

• Fence the borders after issuing identity cards. Border fencing without identity cards will be an exercise in futility as the borders are porous enabling free flow of people.

• Reduce the push factor.

• Facilitate replacement migration, i.e., migration to a third country.

• Homogenise the laws taking account of security needs.

• Initiate special schemes for border population.

• Inculcate a ‘third class’ mentality among migrants, which will prevent future migrations.

• Look at the border issue in all its facets.

Discussion

The queries raised and comments made during the discussion session were:

• Evolve a regional security approach for dealing with the problem.

• Global warming and other environmental hazards will accentuate the refugee problem.

• There is a need for greater international cooperation in tackling the problem of population movement and the threats emanating there from.

• Population movements need to be analyzed with a human rights approach.

• How to reconcile national security and national integration in Northeast India, where inner line permit still exists?

• Politics of scarcity encourages population movements.

• Refugees display a ‘lifeboat’ mentality and not a ‘third class’ mentality. They facilitate further migration from their home country to the host country rather than prevent it.

• Patronised refugees can be bifurcated into 2 categories: i) state authorised/approved but civil society disapproved ii) state unauthorised but civil society approved.

• Host countries discriminate among various groups of refugees even if they belong to the same country for their own strategic reasons.

• Stress required on resettlement issue.

• Humanitarian considerations cannot override security concerns. A balance needs to be struck between national security and national integration. In India, any discrimination between refugee groups on the basis of religion is an aberration and not a norm. Resettlement is an important issue and an integral component of any refugee policy, as it can restore harmony in an otherwise volatile situation.