Migrant Child Labour in Indian Metro Cities

Labour migration and child labour have become the prevalent obstacles for developing and underdeveloped nations, and the prime reason is poverty. To earn a better living, villagers leave their native places and come to cities in search of work; resulting in dropping out of their children from school. In some cases, many child workers migrate within the country either with their parents or independently, without a parent or guardian. In 2016, an estimated 15.20 crore children were working as child labourers worldwide. There were 6.4 crore girls and 8.8 crore boys in this group. This paper attempts to describe how child labour and internal migration are interlinked in India. The complicated problem of migrant child labour in Indian cities is examined in this study. It explores the causes, the socioeconomic and psychological impacts on children, the particular industries in which they labour, and the legislative and governmental frameworks that are in place to address this issue. ‘The involvement of other stakeholders, including governmental organizations and non-governmental organizations, in the rehabilitation and reintegration of these children is also examined in the article.’ The conclusions, which emphasize the particular risks of migrant children and the difficulties in protecting them, are based on a synthesis of previous research, census data, and policy studies.