Beyond International Borders: Unveiling the Dual flows of Remittances and Reverse Remittances in Punjab, India

Harleen Gill, Centre for Research in Rural and Industrial Development, Chandigarh (Panjab University)

There are substantial studies on the transnational flow of remittances, which normally indicate the transfer of money from immigrants to their families in their home countries. However, the concept of reverse economic flows—flow of money from home countries to destination countries—has so far received little attention in India, particularly in Punjab. This paper explores the phenomenon of two-way flow of remittances by demonstrating how socio-economic dynamics mediate the practice of remittance-sending, remittance-receiving, and both among the Punjabi migrants. These economic flows reflect an indirect reciprocity system of mutual responsibilities operating over large time frames and sometimes involve financial discomfort among the migrants and their families in Punjab. The use of a multinomial logistic regression model reveals that demographic factors of migrants and the financial status of migrant’s households play pivotal roles in shaping the flow of remittances and reverse remittances.

Keywords: International Migration, Economic Demography, Families, Unions and Households, Econometrics

See extended abstract.