- As the comprehending people would observe, the global community has become one in the absence of seamless integration of mindboggling technological developments which makes physical boundaries redundant. Information technology-driven innovations have rendered those man-made boundaries infructuous with digital media taking over literally everything under the sun. Astonishingly, information technology is dynamically evolving as we read/speak promising to further revolutionize the way humankind will go about their lives. For ordinary citizens, it’s no less than a miracle to soak in the advancements galore unfolding perpetually. Despite technologies ubiquitous presence, it’s imperative to have a human touch without fail too. No argument there.
PC: Freepik
- Since times immemorial, humanity has made it a habit to traverse the length and breadth of the universe in search of livelihood and greener pastures. This immensely helped in spreading the diverse cultures, traditions, practices, skills, food habits, and many more topics of interest around the world. We know anything beneficial for the common good should be encouraged without an exception. Thus, immigration was a common feature of humanity contributing immensely to developing humankind as it stands presently. Nonetheless, present generation leaders, irrespective of their position in the global hierarchy, representing different countries try to play to the gallery to impress upon the local population by opposing immigration tooth and nail.
- Thus, this can be construed as one of the great disappointments of this century in how the cultural, political, and governmental walls against immigration have been going up across nations. Ironically, the economic logic of immigration has never been stronger. And its relentless push everywhere keeps carving out fascinating new pathways. One such was recently reported in newspapers about how Japanese agriculturalists are now recruiting farm labour from across the Indian countryside. It’s a win-win. India has an aching overabundance of young farmhands. Graying Japan is confronting economy-wide worker shortages. Japanese prejudices that have kept foreigners from filling this gap are finally weakening. Japan is hardly alone.
PC: Freepik
- Many countries with aging populations know full well that in expanding the workforce immigrants expand the tax base, innovation, productivity, GDP et al. Indeed, IMF and others have found that aggregate gains from immigration materialize very quickly. Rich countries’ pretence that keeping the barriers to immigration high only hurts the poorer origin countries is not borne out by facts. Another parochial delusion is that raising national birth rates will provide a way out. This playbook has a perfect record – of failure. Note that migrants not only send money back to their home countries but also cultural remittances. Make no mistake, a full embrace of immigration would cheer the global economy like little else.
