The Invisibles - Compilation of travel data from the first phase of Covid-19

Seasonal and circular migrants are those who either move from place to place or to specific destinations for temporary periods. In India, seasonal migration is the primary mode of labour in sectors like construction, agriculture, manufacturing, and services. The onset of the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020 reiterated the need for data on seasonal migrants who remain vulnerable at the lowest socio-economic strata.This report, published in the year 2022, presents a study of migration streams of seasonal migrant workers at both state and national levels. It uses data collected during the early phases of the Covid-19 lockdown in India, drawing insights from three principal sources: data released by Indian Railways on the number of Shramik special trains run by them; worker registrations to return to source states; and records of workers returning to their source states through police check posts and quarantine centres.This 56-page document is divided into five chapters: Introduction - Describing the Scope of the Study (Chapter 1); Defining Seasonal Migration and its Magnitude: Literature Review (Chapter 2); Methodology (Chapter 3); Findings and Observations (Chapter 4) and Chapter 5: Concluding Remarks.