Last Mile Access

MRC directly facilitates government social protection — both social security benefits and worker protections — for the most vulnerable migrants living in the most isolated circumstances. Our approach is anchored on community-rootedness together with rigorous use of technology and data analytics to drive impact.

Social Security Benefits: Facilitating direct access to government benefits and building the capacity of communities to deepen their access to benefits even without MRC support.

Key activities include:

• Building awareness of social security benefits and simplifying eligibility checks by registering households on our Jan Saathi mobile app
• Accompanying migrants through the process of applying for benefits, from helping secure documents to prove eligibility and filling out application forms to tracking delivery and supporting them in escalating complaints if they are denied benefits
• Identifying and building the capacity of at least one volunteer in each village to support the community in accessing benefits

Worker Protection: Building awareness to prevent exploitation and providing redressal support in cases of exploitation.

Key activities include:

• Community outreach including pre-departure and post-arrival trainings to raise awareness on how to avoid forced labour and seek out support when faced with exploitation
• Operating a multi-lingual, national toll-free helpline where migrant workers can call for free assistance with disputes, emergencies, or seek information on social security benefits. Our team records potential cases of exploitation in a case management system and alerts proximate MRC field teams for verification
• Providing redressal support by working with the district police and government officials, providing legal aid through a team of dedicated lawyers and facilitating access to government-mandated rehabilitation

Crucial to our implementation efforts is building the capacity of others to sustainably facilitate social protections for migrants. We partner with Community-based Organisations (CBOs) already working in migrant communities through relevant programs, such as health and education. These CBOs replicate and execute MRC’s model and have full access to MRC’s technology, knowledge and infrastructure.

Till date MRC has:

• Enabled delivery of
social security benefits