Study reveals decreasing trend in emigration from Kerala

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Amid fears among emigrants from Kerala of losing jobs in Saudi Arabia in the wake of new labour policy ' nitaqat', a recent study has indicated a decreasing trend in emigration from the state.

The number of Kerala emigrants living abroad in 2011 is estimated to be 2.28 million, up from 2.19 million in 2008, 1.84 million in 2003 and 1.36 million in 1998, indicating that the increase during inter-survey periods shows a decreasing trend, study by K C Zachariah and S Irudaya Rajan of Centre for Development Studies here.

Irudaya Rajan told PTI that "Kerala is going to be out of the emigration picture in future".

How the happenings in Saudi Arabia going to effect was a matter that 'we have to watch'. Probably it might further decrease the emigration now itself',he said.

The survey point towards emergence of an era of decreasing trend in emigration from the state. Kerala's Gulf connection could reach its inflexion point in a matter of 4-5 years,the study said.

The increase could vanish much before 2015 and the migration trend could very well slope downward, it was stated.

Emigration from the state was dominated by Muslims whose share of the emigrants from the state (44.3 per cent) continued to remain very much higher than their share in the population (26.5 per cent).