Migrant Workers: Kerala High Court Seeks Response From Govt About Their Living Conditions, Registration Process In State

The development comes in a petition seeking consideration of representations submitted before the Secretary of the Labour Department, urging action to identify and register the ingress of migrant workers in the State.

The Division Bench comprising Acting Chief Justice A.Muhamed Mustaque and Justice S. Manu directed thus:

“The learned Government Pleader is directed to get instructions in regard to the registration process of the migrant workers as well as to the living condition of the migrant workers in the State. The learned Government Pleader is directed specifically to get instructions from the Local Self Government Department whether they have device or mechanism to find out number of occupants of the residential building where the migrant workers find shelter or residence, while they are in Kerala.”

The plea moved by Advocate Ameer Salim states that a large number of migrant workers especially from Bengal arrive in Kerala under the guise of seeking employment. It is alleged that most of them have criminal antecedents and have fabricated identity cards.

The plea alleges that migrant workers are involved in most of the criminal cases registered in the State. Relying upon news reports, the plea argued that there are around 2.5 lakhs of unregistered migrant workers. It is also alleged that migrant workers are involved in the circulation of counterfeit notes in the State. The plea thus states that the State Government has no method of tracking these migrant workers.

The plea said: “Steps should be initiated to identify the correct details of migrant workers, find out those with fabricated identity cards and also trace out these workers with criminal antecedents and those who have not been registered. “

The matter has been posted after two weeks.

The plea has been moved by Advocate Ameer Salim

Case Title: TGN Kumar v State of Kerala

Case Number: WP(C) NO. 25674 OF 2024

Click here to read/download Order