- It’s not rocket science to comprehend how the so-called developed countries have come to be recognized as some of the most developed countries on the back of migrating people duly endowed with skillsets to transform the very nature of the economies. Looking closely at every developed nation would reveal how the migrating but enterprising people over the ages have immensely contributed to making those countries truly stand above the rest in more than one way. Yes, the opportunities available in the developed countries are several as compared to a few of the underdeveloped or developing countries. Take for instance how the United States of America, a melting pot of people from different countries, has evolved over the years.
PC: UNICEF Data
- Immigrants make up a great percentage in the USA propelling the country as the most developed and powerful nation in the world. Little wonder, several countries looking for skilled, trained, and enterprising people lay the red carpet to ensure they contribute in no small measures to build the country on expected lines. Of course, with the advent of modern-day requirements and the seamless embracing of information-technology-driven initiatives, traditional boundaries have blurred leading to the cross-migration of people all around. However, certain developed/advanced countries restricting migration appear to be a step in the wrong direction. In other words, such moves would not help the economies of the developed countries to scale even further.
- As reported recently, Australia’s decision to limit the number of international student enrolments to 270,000 in 2025 is in sync with general sentiment against migration in developed economies. In a parallel development, Canada has announced curbs on hiring of low-wage temporary foreign workers. It seeks to slash a share of the temporary residents’ population to 5% from 6.2% over the next three years. Earlier, Canada reduced number of international student visas it issues by 35% for 2024. A similar story played out in the UK when it introduced visa curbs for overseas workers and family members of international students. Even the Netherlands has decided to limit the number of international student enrolments.
PC: Policy Options
- Notably, the impact of migration on jobs and the housing sector are the reasons most cited for such decisions. But it’s certainly not a coincidence that Canada and Australia will witness elections next year. Yielding to growing insecurities in the native population, governments in these countries have chosen to ignore stats that reveal what migrants contribute to these labour-short economies. For instance, Britain’s Office for National Statistics found that migration of workers from outside the EU helped the country alleviate its staff shortages in the last four years. For Australia, international education has been the fourth largest export, adding $24.7 bn to its economy in 2022-23. Thus, migration should not be placed on the back burner. It will be counterproductive.
