Managing Migrant Crisis Amid COVID-19 Pandemic: Odisha’s Story

The COVID-19 outbreak in December 2019 generated a crisis that the entire globe experienced. The pandemic has impacted India’s economy and society in every possible way. During the pandemic, migrants’ issues emerged as the most pressing concern. The nationwide lockdown introduced in 2020 to stop the spread of the virus had led to a significant influx of return migrants in Odisha, one of the poorest states in India. The state experienced a crisis as a result, with an increase in infection cases, joblessness, food insecurity, and chaos among the people. Based on available secondary data from the census of India, the COVID Dashboard, and the news reports, this paper makes an attempt to study the migration pattern in Odisha, along with reviewing strategies adopted by the government in managing the return migrants in Odisha. This type of analysis is particularly pertinent when it comes to managing migrant issues in the wake of future epidemics.