International migration from central Punjab: Push and pull factors

Due to distressing issues of unemployment and drugs, students are migrating from Punjab to other countries. This migration causes a substantial financial and capital drain from Punjab. Keeping in view the extent of international migration from Punjab, the present study on international migration from rural Punjab was conducted in the central plain zone of Punjab. Multistage random cum purposive sampling was adopted to select the sample from the central plain zone of Punjab. Percentages and averages were used for the analysis of the data. The study found that 65 per cent of emigrants were 21 to 25 years old, revealing the massive brain drain from rural Punjab. With the Canadian government being the most liberal among the developed countries in the grant ofpermanent residence, 40 per cent of emigrants chose Canada for migration in the study area. The average expenditure of 50per cent of emigrants was 10 to 20 lakhs, whereas the average income of 70per cent of respondents was less than ten lakhs. Respondents took loans from non-institutional sources and diverted loans from production to migration purposes to meet the migration cost. The major push factors of migration were increasing unemployment, peer pressure, agricultural distress, gender inequality, the dowry system, the declining income of agriculture, social issues like the drug menace, etc. The primary pull factors of migration include the desire to earn more, have a better life, a free society, acquire higher education etc.