One of my main issues with Europe is its point of view on migration, in particular high skilled migration and migrants. The Commission is currently pushing for an EU-wide/EU level migration policy, which while far off for the moment, is like the Directives on Environment etc., inevitable. On the other hand, individual member states are trying to (re)carve out migration policies - for some this is new territory as they have rarely had any set "policy" on migration apart from traditional liberal democracy family reunification style migration. The main member state in the news right now is France, with a new immigration bill - requesting longer processing times for family reunification while supporting a highly skilled TEMPORARY migration programme.
In reaction to the US and Canada (according to Sarkozy), the French have decided they too have to attract "talent", especially as they view talent to be less troublesome than their current 'low-skilled' and 'badly educated' migrants (of course, a number of these so-called migrants are in fact 2nd generation French citizens). I'd like to point out here that most of the migrants have been quite successful and the poverty witnessed in certain areas is experienced by both white and non-white. Unemployment is harder on the young visible minority male because mainly of his colour or culture and less because of his lack of education. Studies have shown in France a male with a Muslim name stands little chance of getting a good job.
Granted though, there is a vast difference between migrants from the same regions (North Africa, Asia) who move to the US, Canada and Australia than to France or Germany. And unfortunately, there are links between the ease of cultural integration/assimilation into 'western society' and levels of education. Partly, because elites from developing countries have always prided themselves on their “Westerness”, even if it is only the veneer of sophistication. And of course, education usually also provides the migrant with important language tools, marketable skills and a sense of confidence. But a society that cannot lift its second-generation 'migrants', regardless of who their parents were, must bear responsibility for failing to encourage cultural unity and sustainable integration.
Anyway, now the French want the creme de la creme of the developing world - except not forever. Now, the elite are to pick France over citizenship in the US and Canada, for a measly three year visa!! A very similar "green card" system failed miserably in Germany because it did not offer long-term residency (let alone citizenship) and in the end, the very type of migrant they were trying to lure, had many other (better) options to pick from. High tech workers have changed the image of the migrant and the rules of the game. Now, maybe for the first time ever, the migrant is a rational action with his own agency!
But somehow the French think things will be different for them. Of course, this ties in with the very Continental concept of brain drain. The French feel they are doing the right thing by forcing educated migrants to go home, so as not to rob Africa, India etc of their brains. As someone said today, well we have brains in surplus so don't worry about us. The very notion of brain drain angers me, not least because it is extremely paternalistic and somewhat hypocritical. I think the Europeans fear competition and so they really buy into the notion that by taking doctors from Africa and Asia, they are harming those countries. But what about the doctors who do stay in their countries of origin/developing world? There are no hospitals, no medicines etc. Why should any human with potential waste away? How are these people going to help their nation? And in fact, what does seem to happen with educated diasporas, is that they return, even 10, 20, 30 years later to help out in their country of origin through sharing of skills, investments and knowledge.
In the case of India, please - there is no need to worry about us. We have plenty of bright young ones, just waiting in the wings to take peoples' places. And if the West is so concerned about keeping the brains at home (in the country of origin), then help set up decent hospitals and provide necessary clinic facilities and equipment etc instead of sending us land mines and guns! Or as the BJP would say (not that I’m a fan of theirs), “micro-chips not potato chips!”
What will happen to Europe when they really start to let in highly qualified migrants and truly court the ‘talent’? I think a shift in perception and realities will take place - basically encouraging competition. No longer will the migrant be totally pitied or discriminated against and it will be very hard for the Europeans to then deal with their sense of superiority in the face of true competition. It will of course also change their societies, with people becoming much pushier and more ambitions. Get a few Indians in here an already things are being shaken up (I refer to the stiff competition the Belgian diamond cutters are now facing in Antwerp against the Chinese and Indian diamond cutters who are cheaper, better and faster and work much longer hours). On a side note, we’ll probably see more stores open on Sundays in Belgium and maybe longer store hours during the week to cater for what is actually ‘normal’ – people who don’t leave work at 5.30pm!
In my mind all this ties in with a global political shift of a growing rift between North and South at the same time as the South is gaining an economic and political voice. Brazil, China and India are redefining power politics, from trade and the WTO to Security Council seats at the UN. And capitalism in the end favours competition and new markets. The very beast of colonialism will reshape a new world order in some manner. Already at the WTO, developing nations are calling for a link between investment and trade and migration policies of the EU (in particular, visa facilitation for business and education).
With increasing globalization and shared markets, in the end, the EU and EU member states will have to change their migration policies and offer visas and residence cards to the developing world. And when there is a truly free flow of capital, persons and brains, only then will we see actual benefits and possibly even a more humanitarian spirit borne of shared experiences through a genuine eradication of the nation state.
Of course, none of the above unfortunately deals with the other side of the developing world, namely, West Africa and what is happening on the coast off Spain and Italy. Illegal or irregular or undocumented migration, whatever you want to call it, is a huge issue – mainly because it touches on a raw nerve and less because of actual figures. Anyway, that’s a posting for another day…
No comments:
Post a Comment