Vulnerabilities of Migrants at Destination: The Case of Temporary Rural-rural Labour Migrants from Quarit District, West Gojjam Zone of Amhara Region, Ethiopia

Abstract

Migration is associated with opportunities that it generates for migrants and their households, on the one hand, and with vulnerabilities of migrants at destination on the other. This article explored ways in which temporary rural-rural labour migrants from Quarit District werre exposed to multiple and interdependent shocks at destination. It employed qualitative research approach whereby data were generated from focus group discussions, key informant interviews and secondary sources. Participants in the focus group discussions included migrants from purposively selected four migrant sending kebeles in Quarit District. Key informants  comprised experts drawn from relevant offices at various levels of administration. The analysis relied on thematic and descriptive  approaches. The findings showed that rural-rural labour migrants, who werre in search of opportunities in cash-crop-growing areas in Ethiopia, were vulnerable to multiple and interacting shocks of crop failure, market, health, employment and crime. The levels of vulnerabilities might vary across migrants depending on a complex mix of contextual factors situated at various geographical scales, and attributes and risk management strategies of migrants. The results also pointed out the fact that vulnerability could not be fully captured in a localised and single-shock based vulnerability analysis alone. These imply the need to mainstreaming migration into development policies and strategies that are designed to address this kind of vulnerability.

Keywords: cash crop production, wage labour, rural-rural migration, vulnerabilities, shocks