Migrant workers driving development: A view from Pasakha, Bhutan

Abstract

this article offers an exposition of the role of migrant workers in driving economic development in Pasakha, which is an industrial estate located on the Bhutan-India border. Originating from rural Bhutan and neighbouring India, these workers fill essential low- and semi-skilled jobs in Pasakha’s factories, often residing in makeshift colonies close to the industrial sites. Migrants arrive in Pasakha for a range of reasons, including declining agricultural returns and limited employment opportunities in their places of origins. They consider employment in Pasakha as a pathway to better livelihoods and social mobility, even as their integration into the Pasakha destination also entails a new set of vulnerabilities they need to navigate.