India’s Migration Policy Towards Gulf Cooperation Council Countries: A Case Study of the Covid-19 Pandemic

Abstract

The sudden outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020 caused unprecedented hardship worldwide and raised significant global concern about non-traditional security threats. It also highlighted the weaknesses in existing policies and governance mechanisms. It further laid bare the structural vulnerabilities of global migration governance, particularly for labour-exporting countries like India. As the world’s largest source of international migrants and the top recipient of remittances, India faced significant challenges in protecting its overseas workforce, especially in the Gulf Cooperation Council countries, where the highest percentage of Indian migrants reside. This article examines how India’s emigration governance responded to the humanitarian crisis triggered by the pandemic, based on the analysis of studies and reports published during the pandemic era. It argues that migration governance must move beyond administrative regulation and embrace a human-centred framework rooted in protection, preparedness and partnership. The pandemic ultimately demonstrates that safeguarding migrant dignity and security is not only a humanitarian obligation but also a prerequisite for resilient and future-ready migration policy.