Living Conditions and Intension of Future Movement among Return Migrants: A special reference to International Female Domestic Workers from Kerala, India

The present paper, based on primary data collected from six villages in Kerala, focuses on the present living conditions and future plans of international female migrants after their return. The analysis revealed that female migrants had faced differing situations after their return. A vast majority of the return migrants had experienced financial problems as well as some kind of tensions in the family because of their return. About three fourth of the migrants were not working after their return and few of the returnees reported that they tried to get a job but did not succeed in getting job. The main type of work involved by the return migrants were domestic work, fish sale, coir industry and vegetable selling. A large proportion of the return migrants wanted to migrate in the future. The proportion who wanted to migrate again was relatively higher among women who were young, illiterate, who were not currently married, and whose last place of destination was Gulf countries. Furthermore, the intention of future movement was found to be higher among women who had faced some kind of financial problems as well as other problems in the family because of their return.