Migrant worker's rights in the GCC countries-A case with reference to ILO conventions

The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) emerged as a new and popular destination for expatriates after the oil boom of 1973. The paper analyses such trends and causes of migration to the region. The importance of the region in respect to migration from India lies in the fact that there are more than five million Indian expatriates living there and that too belonging to all three categories of labor including professionals, semi-skilled workers and unskilled laborers. However, to protect the interests and rights of the migrant workers in the region is an issue of global concern. The paper endorses the ratification of international labor conventions especially those of ILO for improving the working conditions of the expatriates. This paper also provides insight into the challenges faced by the Indian expatriates in the region and makes policy recommendations for protecting the migrant worker's rights.