Historical Perspective of Migration

Historical Perspective of Migration

Author Name : Dr. Maninderjit Singh

 The concept of migration cannot be fully understood without reference to the historical phases. Each historical phase has its own pattern of migration and each historical phase had its dominant socio-economic system. If migration is a response to the requirement of the system prevailing in a particular time and place, the resultant pattern of migration would also be qualitatively different. India has one of the worlds most diverse and complex migration histories. Since the 19th century, ethnic Indians have established communities on every continent as well as on islands in the Caribbean and the Pacific and Indian oceans.

The composition of flows has evolved over time from mainly indentured labour in far-flung colonies to post-war labour for British industry to high-skilled professionals in North America and low-skilled workers in the Middle East. In addition, ethnic Indians in countries like Kenya and Suriname have migrated to other countries, a movement called secondary migration.The phrase "Indian diaspora" refers to persons who have moved from regions that are located within the Republic of India's borders. It also includes their offspring. The diaspora is now believed to number more over twenty million people. The diaspora, which is made up of "NRIs" (Indian citizens who do not reside in India) and "PIOs" (Persons of Indian Origin who have gained citizenship in another nation), spans almost every continent. There are over a million in 11 nations worldwide, while there are at least one hundred thousand ethnic Indians in 22 countries.