The COVID-19 Pandemic has exacerbated the existing gaps in social class and privilege. The faultlines of class in our society that run deep and wide are clearer now, more than ever. While the quarantine is taking its toll on almost every citizen, certain sections of our society are still vexed with access to food and basic necessities. During this state of uncertainty and global turmoil, migrant workers are perhaps facing the most pressing adversities of all.
‘Migrant workers’ are often described as those workers who migrate within their own country or outside it to pursue work with no intention of staying permanently at their area of employment. Due to the way it has been defined, the term ‘migrant worker’ cuts across people in different industries and income groups to encompass a large section of the society that has changed addresses for work. However, people with higher-income and stable jobs enjoy many privileges that have made the lockdown quite comfortable. Only a subset of the group of migrant workers is facing woes of the pandemic. This subset includes seasonal workers, manual labourers and individuals characteristically involved in physical labour in low paying jobs. These are the migrant workers that need government support and attention.
During this outbreak, work and employment have not come to a standstill for many people. The workfrom-home policy being adopted by many corporates is offering saving grace to multiple employees. However, due to the physical and manual nature of their job, migrant workers like construction workers, domestic help, street hawkers, manual labourers etc. are unable to resume their work at full swing. For instance, most construction projects have been brought to a temporary halt, and subsequently, demand for physical labour has fallen. Thus, the pandemic has brewed a state of intense uncertainty for these daily wage workers who have been now pushed to the margins.
The problems faced by the migrant worker seem endless. The absence of employment has cut off their source of income and livelihood. Their low incomes and wages generated little or no savings in the past to fall back on during these rainy days. Access to basic necessities is a struggle while these workers wait in long serpentine lines for government support and rationed food. In the midst of these existential perils, other problems surround these workers. For instance, the issue of travel. During these perilous times, many workers would prefer to be back in their hometowns with the rest of their families. However, travel restrictions and lack of money to explore more expensive alternatives forbid that from happening. Moreover, migrant workers often do not have stable and proper housing in their city of work. Thus, the question of home and housing arises for them as well.
The government is trying to offer relief and aid to such migrant workers, for instance, through relief camps. Unfortunately, these solutions come in a package with long lines and bureaucratic red-tapism. Battling the issues of survival and livelihood, clad in face masks, the migrant workers patiently wait for the times to improve.
![Pune, India- Pune's Naidu hospital Isolation ward for Corona Virus check up in Pune city on March 05, 2020 [Photo by Jignesh Mistry]](https://paigam.network/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/COVID19_PUNE_JM_CNES_01-150x150.jpg)
![Pune, India- Deserted Mumbai-Banglore Highway as Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced "Janata Curfew" a Voluntary Curfew for people of india amid concerns over the spread of the COVID-19 novel corona virus at Chandani Chowk, Pune city on March 22, 2020 [Photo by Jignesh Mistry]](https://paigam.network/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/COVID19_PUNE_JM_CNES_03-150x150.jpg)
![Pune, India- Pune Police barricade at Paud Phata on Karve road as Commissioner of Police ordered ban of private vehicles as precautionary measure amid concerns over the spread of the COVID-19 novel corona virus at Pune city on March 23, 2020 [Photo by Jignesh Mistry]](https://paigam.network/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/COVID19_PUNE_JM_CNES_04-150x150.jpg)
![Pune, India- Pedestrians cross a wall painting creating precautionary awareness against Corona virus at Dahanukar colony amid concerns over the spread of the COVID-19 novel corona virus in Pune city on March 26, 2020 [Photo by Jignesh Mistry]](https://paigam.network/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/COVID19_PUNE_JM_CNES_05-150x150.jpg)
![Pune, India- Homeless stand in a queue at Gogate Vidyalaya PMC school, Narayanpeth amid concerns over the spread of the COVID-19 novel corona virus in Pune city on March 29, 2020. School under PMC were ordered to open for beggars and homeless on Saturday. [Photo by Jignesh Mistry]](https://paigam.network/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/COVID19_PUNE_JM_CNES_06-150x150.jpg)
![Pune, India- Temporary Vegetable and Fruit Market at Golibar Maidan by Pune Cantonment amid concerns over the spread of the COVID-19 novel corona virus at Pune city on April 01, 2020 [Photo by Jignesh Mistry]](https://paigam.network/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/COVID19_PUNE_JM_CNES_07-150x150.jpg)
![Parantwadi, India- A Gardner plucks let over rose flowers at a rose nursery at Parantwadi village, Maval district amid concerns over the spread of the COVID-19 novel corona virus in Pune city on April 05, 2020. The export quality rose flowers are plucked from polyhouse daily and are thrown away due to the COVID 19 Pandemic conditions. [Photo by Jignesh Mistry]](https://paigam.network/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/COVID19_PUNE_JM_CNES_08-150x150.jpg)
![Pune, India- Hotel rooms are lite up as word "HOPE" of hotel NOVOTEL PUNE as to mark concerns over the spread of the COVID-19 novel corona virus in Pune city, India on April 09, 2020.[Photo by Jignesh Mistry]](https://paigam.network/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/COVID19_PUNE_JM_CNES_09-150x150.jpg)
![Pune, India- A horse keeper at Sarsbaug Park amid concerns over the spread of the COVID-19 novel corona virus in Pune city, India on April 12, 2020.[Photo by Jignesh Mistry]](https://paigam.network/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/COVID19_PUNE_JM_CNES_10-150x150.jpg)
![Pune, India- Pune Police detain citizens Violating lockdown orders at Jedhe chowk, Swargate amid concerns over the spread of the COVID-19 novel corona virus in Pune city, India on April 16, 2020. Around 150 citizens were booked walking and travelling on bikes on Thursday morning. [Photo by Jignesh Mistry]](https://paigam.network/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/COVID19_PUNE_JM_CNES_12-150x150.jpg)
![Pune, India- Migrant Sugarcane workers push the cart upside down at Sant Tukaram Sugar Factory at Kasarsai-Darumbre village in Pune district, India on April 20, 2020. The Maharashtra state government has decided to allow over a lakh migrant sugarcane workers to return to their native village amid Government imposed nationwide Lockdown as a preventive measure against the COVID-19 coronavirus at the Sugar Factories [Photo by Jignesh Mistry]](https://paigam.network/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/COVID19_PUNE_JM_CNES_13-150x150.jpg)
![Pune, India- Water cans and buckets are gathered by people at Uruli Devachi area in Pune city amid Government imposed nationwide Lockdown as a preventive measure against the COVID-19 coronavirus in Pune city, India on April 24, 2020. People get water from one tanker a day in morning time by the Pune Municipal corporation at Uruli Devachi. [Photo by Jignesh Mistry]](https://paigam.network/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/COVID19_PUNE_JM_CNES_14-150x150.jpg)
![Pune, India- Hand bags are seen lined up as People wait in a Ration line at Paud Phata area amid Government imposed nationwide Lockdown as a preventive measure against the COVID-19 coronavirus in Pune city, India on April 27, 2020. [Photo by Jignesh Mistry]](https://paigam.network/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/COVID19_PUNE_JM_CNES_15-150x150.jpg)
![Pune, India- Stranded Migrant workers and people of different states of India stand in a queue for medical health certificate at District Hospital in Aundh amid Government imposed nationwide Lockdown as a preventive measure against the COVID-19 coronavirus in Pune city, India on May 04, 2020.The Maharashtra home minister has declared that collectors of various districts have been made nodal officers who will be issuing the permission forms for stranded people. [Photo by Jignesh Mistry]](https://paigam.network/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/COVID19_PUNE_JM_CNES_16-150x150.jpg)
![Pune, India- Private agency Bouncer security at a Wine shop in Deccan Gymkhana area to control crowd buying liquor in Pune city, India on May 05, 2020.[Photo by Jignesh Mistry]](https://paigam.network/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/COVID19_PUNE_JM_CNES_17-150x150.jpg)

![Pune, India- Migrnat workers from Uttar Pradesh arrive at Pune railway station in Pune city on May 09, 2020. The second train from Pune district will travel from Pune Railway station to Lucknow in Uttarpradesh[Photo by Jignesh Mistry]](https://paigam.network/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/COVID19_PUNE_JM_CNES_19-150x150.jpg)
![Pune, India- Patients recovered from Corona Virus are welcomed by doctors and staff at the campus of National Institute of Construction Management and Research (NICMAR), an Isolation ward at Baner,Pune city on May 10, 2020 . Twenty four Corona Virus negative patients were sent home on Sunday afternoon in Pune. [Photo by Jignesh mistry]](https://paigam.network/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/COVID19_PUNE_JM_CNES_20-150x150.jpg)
![Pune, India- Migrant workers travelling to eastern part of Maharashtra state at a private bus parking at Wagholi in Pune city on May 12, 2020. Migrant workers stranded in Pune city are gathering at Wagholi as the private buses are travelling to state border cities amid Government imposed nationwide Lockdown as a preventive measure against the COVID-19 coronavirus .[Photo by Jignesh mistry]](https://paigam.network/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/COVID19_PUNE_JM_CNES_21-150x150.jpg)
![Pune, India- Stranded Migrant workers climb a truck travelling to Uttarpradesh at Shikrapur village on Pune Ahmednagar Highway near Pune city on May 12, 2020 [Photo by Jignesh mistry]](https://paigam.network/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/COVID19_PUNE_JM_CNES_22-150x150.jpg)
![Pune, India- Stranded Migrant workers from Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Chattisgarh wait in school ground at Shirur village on Pune-Ahmednagar Highway near Pune city, India on May 13, 2020. Pune Rural Police stopped workers from travelling ahead to Maharashtra borders as arrangements were made via Train and Buses for the migrants to native states amid Government imposed nationwide Lockdown as a preventive measure against the COVID-19 coronavirus. [Photo by Jignesh mistry]](https://paigam.network/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/COVID19_PUNE_JM_CNES_23-150x150.jpg)