ABSTRACT
Protecting migrants’ rights and providing requisite welfare, especially at destination countries, have become prominent measures in assessing the proactiveness of countries of origin (COO) like India in addressing the welfare concerns of migrant workers. The issue of welfare becomes even more critical to migrants who are on a temporary contract and have meagre chance of becoming naturalized citizens of countries of destination (COD). This is true in the case of millions of labour migrants in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). The issue of welfare has also been central to discussions at the Colombo Process,2 a major platform for collaboration among major sending countries, and has a dialogue with the COD. Welfare is also at the heart of various ILO Conventions, including Convention No. 97 on Migration for Employment (Revised) 1949, Convention No. 143 on Migrant Workers (Supplementary Provisions), 1975, and Convention No. 181 on Private Employment Agencies, 1997.
