As Kerala voted on Thursday to elect a new government, a powerful yet understated electoral bloc was stepping into polling booths — the Gulf returnees. For decades, migration to West Asia underwrote Kerala’s economy through remittances; today, those who had returned were voting with a mix of gratitude for welfare support and frustration over limited opportunities at home. In an election expected to see wafer-thin margins, their expectations and disappointments could prove decisive.
The numbers underscore their significance. While over 2.23 lakh voters remain overseas, lakhs of returnees have rejoined the domestic electorate over the years, especially after the Covid-19 pandemic triggered reverse migration. Many now find themselves rebuilding lives in a State where they bring savings, experience and ambition, but often confront a slow-moving economic environment.
For some returnees, State support mechanisms have made reintegration smoother. Muhamad Safi, a businessman from Ottapalam, credited institutional support for helping him restart his livelihood. He pointed to the role of Norka (Non-Resident Keralites Affairs) Roots, saying: “Norka Roots assists NRIs with loans on their return. Loans worth ₹20 lakh on a low interest are processed without delay.” His experience reflects a segment that believes welfare and credit support have improved the ease of doing business. “My family members also receive a pension,” he added, signalling how welfare benefits remain an important political touchpoint.
But this optimism is far from universal. Many returnees said their vote would hinge on whether the next government can generate jobs and encourage entrepreneurship. Anil Nair, who is exploring business opportunities after years of salaried work outside the State, argued that development gaps remain glaring. “The new government must remove obstacles to starting businesses to begin with,” he said, stressing that skill development and industrial growth must move to the centre of policy priorities.
labour issues
Others spoke of systemic frustrations that erode entrepreneurial confidence. Pradeep Balakrishnan, who spent years working in Saudi Arabia, said bureaucratic hurdles continue to haunt returnees seeking to invest their savings. “Rampant labour issues, bureaucratic hurdles and procedural delays while setting up businesses is destroying the entrepreneurial spirit,” he observed, capturing a widely shared sentiment among those attempting small ventures.
Some returnees highlighted the risks of reintegration itself. Saju Thangappan, who returned from Bahrain, said survival depended less on government assistance and more on financial prudence. “I didn’t expect anything free from the government, but I believed in taking out repayable business loans that they lent to sustain my ventures,” he said, recalling how careful planning allowed him to navigate uncertainty.
There are also voices that reflect deep disillusionment with official support systems. E Sivasankaran, who spent more than two decades working in Salalah, said many returnees feel left to fend for themselves. “The government agency set up to assist the reverse migrants is operating like regular banks… It feels like just another office where people draw a salary at the end of the month — nothing more,” he said. His frustration echoes among those who feel that institutional responses remain distant from lived realities.
welfare schemes
At the other end of the spectrum are elderly returnees who depend heavily on welfare schemes. Ashraf AP, who returned over a decade ago, described pension support as a lifeline. “I returned 14 years ago, and have started getting my ₹3,000 pension… This is a pravasi-friendly government that embraces migrants, especially the elderly,” he said, reflecting gratitude among those reliant on social security.
What binds these diverse experiences is a shared anxiety about the future. Gulf migration once promised stability and upward mobility; return migration now often brings financial uncertainty. The expectations placed on the next government, whether it concerns pensions, jobs, or business-friendly policies, are unusually high among this segment.
Kerala’s economy has long rested on remittances sent from abroad. Now, as returnees stepped into polling booths across districts such as Thrissur district and Palakkad district, their votes reflected a deeper reckoning: whether the State that thrived on their earnings can now sustain their return.
Published on April 9, 2026