Immigrants and Immigration in India A Fresh Approach

Abstract

India has been receiving large numbers of immigrants, mostly from the neighbouring countries of South Asia, and some from other parts of the world, and hence she needs to be seen as a major immigration country. The article provides a detailed discussion of the problems and concerns of cross-border migrants, and India’s policy stance in dealing with immigration. It argues that India needs to differentiate between the stocks and the fl ows of its immigrant population. Also, it would no doubt be in the larger interests of the country to control the unabated fl ows of migrants from across the borders and minimise their negative effects, but one must not lose sight of the components of a humane migration policy, including investment in the human capital of the migrant population.