The basic concept of migration is changing, especially to countries like the US or Canada, said S. Irudaya Rajan, Chairman, International Institute for Migration and Development (IIMAD), Thiruvananthapuram, while addressing a session on skill burden sharing between countries of origin and destination countries at the National Conference on International Migration held here on Tuesday.
A significant number of migrant parents who have settled in other destinations support the migration of their wards to countries like the US or Canada so that the whole family moves to their destination. So is the stress of young aspirants who migrate to these countries. A student or young migrant who lands in their destination country with a large loan debt will have to face psychological stress along with work stress for a long time, he said. As a result, there has been an increase in suicides among Indians in countries like Canada, where at least one migrant attempts suicide every week, Mr. Rajan said, referring to health workers in Canada.
The 5th National Conference on ‘Mobility for a New Era: Rethinking Narratives and Frames of International Migration and Mobility’ jointly organized by IIMAD and the Indian Council on World Affairs (ICWA) concluded here on Tuesday.
Speaking at the valedictory address, Nutan Kapoor Mahawar, Acting Director General/Additional Secretary, ICWA, emphasized the need for people-centred migration as migrants are not just remittance workers but people with families and aspirations. She also pointed out that the classic migration academy understands migration mainly through the economic discipline and it is urgently necessary to address its social aspects as well. The closing ceremony was also chaired by Amritta Datta, Faculty of Sociology, Bielefeld University, Germany.
Published – 18 Nov 2025 22:30 IST
