Study finds Malayalam, Tamil-speaking international migrants outnumber domestic migrants

 

 

 

A new study has found that Malayalis and Tamils who leave their country in search of work are more likely to be in other Indian states. This shows that Malayalam and Tamil-speaking international migrants are more likely to be in other countries than domestic migrants. These very interesting findings are from a paper published by Chinmay Thumbay from IIM Ahmedabad. The paper shows the need to study domestic and international migration patterns together.

Most of the foreign migrants are from Punjab and Gujarat. However, their presence is greater in other states within India than abroad. Punjabis are the most dispersed community in the country. Malayalis have migrated mostly to West Asia and more recently to the United States and Europe. Meanwhile, Tamils have a long history of migration to Southeast Asia, Myanmar and North America. Most internal migration in India is intra-district or intra-state migration for marriage. People migrate abroad for work, better living conditions, and study.