Kerala, which accounts for 2.5 mn migrants in the Gulf region, may see a 15% drop in remittances ERNAKULAM : The covid-19-led crisis has sucked the lifeblood out of Kerala’s remittance economy, with Gulf nations struggling to accommodate migrant workers following a demand slowdown due to the global pandemic and the consequent crash in oil prices.
The World Bank has predicted that non-resident Indian (NRI) deposits into the country will fall 23% this week—the sharpest decline in recent history—and Kerala, which receives over ₹1 trillion in remittances, may be the worst hit among states.
The projected fall is largely due to a fall in the wages and employment of migrant workers, who tend to be more vulnerable to loss of employment and wages