A recent study from the PAU, has brought to light the eye-watering amount of money that Punjab families pour into their dreams of settling abroad. According to the report, Punjab villagers have borrowed nearly INR 14,342 crores and have sold assets worth INR 5,639 crores since 1990 till September 2022. It also highlighted the recent trend of going to foreign countries as it was found that 76% of total migration since 1990, happened in the last 7 years. It also came to the fore that 56% of the total emigrants burrowed money in order to go abroad.
The study is based on the primary data covering 44 villages of 22 districts. The researchers first conducted a census survey of 9,492 households. A total of 640 migrant and 660 non-migrant households were interviewed. According to the study, Punjab has seen a rise in emigration with approximately 13.5% of rural households having at least one member migrated. They observed that around 19.38% migrants had sold their assets like agricultural and residential land, house, gold, car, and tractor. On an average, each immigrant has sold assets worth INR 1.23 lakhs, which was estimated at INR 5,639 crore for the state. The majority of low-cast, low-income, landless, and labour migrant households sold houses and gold ornaments to meet the expenses of migrations.
Speaking of the demographics, it was revealed that males, landless, minimally educated and Scheduled Castes from Doaba emigrated to UAE on work visa, while Canada and Australia were the dream destination for the young as well as Jat-Sikhs from Majha and Malwa with all farm-size categories who went abroad on study visa.
But the eye-watering amount of money that they spend is not the most startling find from this study. But what is startling to find is that these are not the biggest woes of the family members that are left behind. They are most pinched by the loneliness and the neglect of the elderly members. Nearly 20% sold their land, house, gold and other assets to meet the funds to stay abroad.
The study also reflects that foreign remittances from earlier decades is significantly lower than the current margin. Before, most of the immigrants on work permits would send money back to Punjab, whereas now, the outflow of money from rural Punjab is increasing. Moreover, since most of the new immigrants are youngster, Punjab is losing its demographic dividend.