CHENNAI: A national conference on migration organised by the Madras School of Social Work (MSSW) on Monday brought together academics, researchers and civil society organisations to examine emerging migration patterns, labour rights and vulnerabilities faced by migrant workers.
The conference, titled ‘From Push to Pull: Unveiling the Realities of Migration’, featured sessions on labour migration, trafficking risks, homelessness and policy responses for migrant populations.
Prof Stephen Anthony, director-MSSW, presented findings from a recent survey on homeless persons in Chennai to present the realities of homelessness.
The 2025 survey commissioned by the GCC identified 13,529 homeless persons in the city, including 3,250 elderly persons, 2,322 children, and 2,482 living as families.
“More than 60% of the homeless population are living in family units. They are living as homeless across generations. Piecemeal interventions do not solve the problem but holistic attempts need to be made,” he opined.
Journalist and researcher Anuradha Nagaraj, founder of The Migration Story, focused on informal workers who move across states for work and form a large segment of India’s informal economy. “Workers move for reasons ranging from distress and seasonal employment to better opportunities and aspirations. However, migrant workers often face barriers in accessing welfare entitlements in destination cities, including social security schemes, healthcare and education for their children,” she stated. “There isn’t enough reliable data on migrant workers, as seasonal and circular migration patterns often leave them uncounted in official surveys.”
In a plenary session, Chetan Choithani spoke on migration, livelihoods and inequality in India, while V Sivasankar of Pondicherry University discussed vulnerabilities faced by tribal communities affected by migration.
A panel discussion examining issues of trafficking, exploitation and protection among migrant populations across gender and age groups was also held that focused on gendered migration risks, circular migration, bonded labour and child trafficking linked to migration.
The conference was inaugurated by S Raja Samuel, principal of MSSW, with addresses by migration scholar S Irudaya Rajan and former Additional Chief Secretary Christodas Gandhi.