Ernakulam, which has the highest number of migrant workers in Kerala, tops the number of crimes committed by them too.
As per the estimates of the State Home Department, as many as 1,770 cases involving migrants have been reported across the State since May 2011. Of this, Ernakulam tops the list with a total of 660 cases, followed by Malappuram with 240 cases and Kozhikode with 132 cases.
Ernakulam rural's dubious distinction
With 374 cases, the Ernakulam rural district — the hub of migrant workers in the State — witnessed the maximum number of cases during the period. Meanwhile, areas within Kochi city limits, home to several infrastructure projects that have employed a large number of migrant workers, witnessed 286 cases.
Senior officials with the State police attribute the increased rate of crime in Ernakulam to the high concentration of migrant workers in the region. “This part of the State employs the maximum number of migrant workers, be it the 1,200-odd plywood factory units in its eastern side or the infrastructure projects in and around Kochi city,” said a top official with the Kerala police.
The official, meanwhile, sought to deny the reports about a crime wave with the influx of migrants. “Migration has absolutely no impact on the levels of violent crime on our streets. The 1,770 cases in about five years is just a very small percentage of over two lakh criminal cases reported in the State annually,” the official added.
A back-of-the-envelope assessment by the Ernakulam rural police suggests that there are over three lakh migrant labourers camping within its limits. According to Yathish Chandra G.H., Superintendent of Police, Ernakulam Rural, the number of organised crimes involving migrant workers is much less as most of the violent crimes are committed on the spur of a moment and called for a holistic approach to check the trend. “The police are only concerned about crime. We require a coordinated action by the government departments, including Labour and Heath, to identify and address their problems,” he said.
In view of the rising number of crimes involving migrant labourers in the region, the rural police have embarked on a policing scheme focused exclusively on this labour community. The programme is being implemented through beat officers and assistant beat officers, who are required to coordinate activities against miscreants and crimes in the labour camps.
