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This report outlines movements of skilled workers and students in the Caribbean region and considers their overall impact. It is presented in six main sections: the introductory section outlines the context of skilled migration in the region, including the rationale for including students; section two outlines the scale and magnitude of skilled migration; section three looks at the impacts of these movements, highlighting the difficulties of measuring these impacts, the conditions relating to the impacts, and the balance between the gains and losses; section four provides the views of selected key persons in Jamaica and highlights current debates on skilled migration; section five looks at current government policies on skilled migration; section six considers policy options and future research; and section seven contains the conclusion which says that ‘despite the losses in trained and professional personnel, migration is regarded as a desirable means whereby people, especially from small countries, can extend their opportunities and gain experience in a wider international setting’.

This report is part of a series of studies conducted by the International Labour Office under the DFID-sponsored project on ‘Skilled labour migration (the ‘brain drain’) from developing countries: analysis of impact and policy issues’. Available reports are indexed from TD/TNC 86.109 to TD/TNC 86.119. Show less

This bibliography is part of a series of studies conducted by the International Labour Office under the DFID-sponsored project on 'Skilled labour migration (the 'brain drain') from developing countries: analysis of impact and policy issues'. It is presented in eight sections. The first seven sections reflect the research questions that were set by DFID for the project. The research questions are: (1) How does migration of skilled workers and students affect developing country labour markets? (2) How does migration of skilled workers and students affect developing countries' ability to integrate into global markets? (3) What role do remittances play? (4) What impact does skilled migration have on poverty in developing countries? (5) How important is the UK currently as a destination for skilled workers and students from developing countries? How important is it likely to become? (6) What should the UK government do to ensure that impacts on developing countries are taken account of in design and delivery of policies on areas that relate to skilled migration? (7) What should the UK government do to ensure that impacts on developing countries are taken account of in GATS [General Agreement in Trades and Services] negotiations over the temporary movement of natural persons? The final section contains articles of general interest.

Available reports from this project are indexed from TD/TNC 86.109 to TD/TNC 86.119. Show less

This review describes 'Six Rs' or policies that can facilitate feedback effects and, thereby, take advantage of high skilled emigration. Calls in the 1970s for the reparation of the direct loss through a brain drain tax have long since been disregarded as a viable way of offsetting the adverse effects of high skilled emigration. Three of the 'Rs' are variants of migration policy, e.g. return, restriction, or recruitment. Restrictive admission (or exit) policies touch on the rights of the individual international migrant, as well as run the risk of impeding positive feedback effects. Policies that encourage return migration may be in the best long-term interest of the migrant source countries, but almost no policymakers in receiving countries as yet justify temporary admission standards on such a basis. For those who remain abroad, there are resourcing policies. These 'diaspora options' rely mainly on the creation of expatriate networks that return knowledge to the home country, e.g., that facilitate the transfer of technology. To date, most expatriate networks are autonomously founded and there may be a role for the expanded involvement of both source and receiving countries. Further, remittances are a significant source of income for developing countries. Outreach to skilled expatriates can take advantage of the greater likelihood that they will save in foreign currency accounts in the home country, invest in remittance backed bonds, or invest in entrepreneurial activities when incentives such as reduced tariffs or income tax breaks are offered. Finally, grand policies of retention are likely to be the best long run response to a brain drain. The most active policies have and continue to be academic ventures based on regional and international cooperation where receiving countries play an active role. Additionally, many developing countries have individually, or in the context of regional accords, targeted ICT development as a means of getting on the information-age bandwagon. Such projects promise to be a fruitful way of stimulating economic growth and reducing permanent out migration of highly educated natives.

Excerpt from executive summary.

This report is part of a series of studies conducted by the International Labour Office under the DFID-sponsored project on 'Skilled labour migration (the 'brain drain') from developing countries: analysis of impact and policy issues'. Available reports are indexed from TD/TNC 86.109 to TD/TNC 86.119. Show less

This bibliography is part of a series of studies conducted by the International Labour Office under the DFID-sponsored project on 'Skilled labour migration (the 'brain drain') from developing countries: analysis of impact and policy issues'. It is presented in seven sections. They are: Economic analyses and policy implications; Policy implications; Skilled migration processes and policies; Policy issues and skilled migration; Developed countries - news reports; Developing countries - news reports; Canadian brain drain.

Available reports from this project are indexed from TD/TNC 86.109 to TD/TNC 86.119. Show less

This paper reviews the extent to which highly (tertiary) educated emigrants from developing countries represent an economic loss or 'brain drain'. (1) It systematically reviews available data on international mobility, (2) then it examines the economic analysis of direct effects of brain drain on economic development, and it (3) finishes the review by considering the major favourable feedback effects generated by high skilled emigration. Ultimately, the empirical literature on the brain drain is disappointing in the sense that much of it depends upon the assumptions of theoretical, albeit mathematically sophisticated, economic models. Empirical analysis or the modelling of statistical data is relatively rare. And to cap it all, the offsetting, cumulative effects of ongoing contact, return, transfer, and investment are generally not included in the theoretical literature, much less are they well-documented or measured making any assessment difficult. In short, there is plenty of evidence that concerns with a 'brain drain' are legitimate, but there is little empirical means of establishing which countries are most at risk, much less which countries are most likely to benefit.

Excerpts from executive summary.

This report is part of a series of studies conducted by the International Labour Office under the DFID-sponsored project on 'Skilled labour migration (the 'brain drain') from developing countries: analysis of impact and policy issues'. Available reports are indexed from TD/TNC 86.109 to TD/TNC 86.119. Show less

The world's youth (15-29 years) constitute about 1.7 billion people, and 1.5 billion of them (87 per cent) are in developing countries. If only the 15-24 age group is considered they amount to 1.2 billion, of whom one billion are in less developed regions. Asia accounts for 700 million of world's youth (15-24 years) or one billion if the range is extended to 29 years. Asian youth thus range from 58 per cent to 68 per cent of the total global youth population depending on the definition used. Youth employment has emerged as a major issue in most Asian countries. At the same time, youth are believed to be among the most mobile within their own countries as internal migrants or across borders as international migrants for employment or for other reasons. The purpose of the study is to review the situation and trends in the migration of youth for employment in the Asian region and discuss related policy issues. First, the paper discusses methodological issues and data sources. Then it reviews some trends and profiles of youth employment and migration in Asia. Next the situation of migrant youth in destination countries will be addressed. National policies and strategies to the issue are discussed next. The final section deals with policy implications of the analysis.

Excerpts from publication. Show less

The focus of this paper is on highly skilled migration to the UK from developing countries. It uses existing UK data sets relating to stocks and flows of skilled migrants to identify the changing composition and origin of people from developing countries migrating to the UK. It examines trends in return migration and questions why return migration to developing countries is so low as this group of skilled migrants is particularly important to the future development of their countries of origin and considers how skilled migration is likely to develop in the future by looking at the main forces shaping international flows and the trends emerging in other developed countries. The paper then turns to consider prescriptive measures, including ways in which the UK might collect better data on skilled migration from developing countries and the key research questions that merit attention. The final section discusses possible policy actions which the UK government could take relating to skilled migration from developing countries.

This report is part of a series of studies conducted by the International Labour Office under the DFID-sponsored project on 'Skilled labour migration (the 'brain drain') from developing countries: analysis of impact and policy issues'. Available reports are indexed from TD/TNC 86.109 to TD/TNC 86.119. Show less

Philippines has been experiencing a ‘brain drain’ since the early seventies. This was accelerated in the nineties when advances in information technology and the growth of the information-communication industry sparked new waves of skilled migration of electronic engineers, computer programmers, designers and allied skills workers. This report provides some benchmarks of this brain drain, showing how the pattern of migration has evolved in the last 10 years. The report is presented in six sections: following the introductory section, section two looks at the patterns of temporary labour migration; section three considers the supply of high level manpower in the labour force; section four looks at selected professionals, their entry into the labour force and the numbers that have migrated; section five explores the movement of Filipino skilled workers; and section six concludes the report by outlining some policy issues that need to be considered within the context of the migration of skilled Filipino workers.

This report is part of a series of studies conducted by the International Labour Office under the DFID-sponsored project on ‘Skilled labour migration (the ‘brain drain’) from developing countries: analysis of impact and policy issues’. Available reports are indexed from TD/TNC 86.109 to TD/TNC 86.119. Show less

This report adopts the approach that the emigration of highly skilled labour (both professionals and students) from India can be looked at either as a drain of human resources or as gainful globalisation of human capital. The report provides an overview of the current situation of skilled migration in India and discusses the impact and policy measures within the perspective of 'positive potentials' and 'sustainable possibilities'. Reference is made to the role a developed recipient country like the UK can play. A number of specific measures for both the British and Indian governments are suggested and areas for further research and scope for generating data on the emigration of highly skilled persons are highlighted.

This report is part of a series of studies conducted by the International Labour Office under the DFID-sponsored project on 'Skilled labour migration (the 'brain drain') from developing countries: analysis of impact and policy issues'. Available reports are indexed from TD/TNC 86.109 to TD/TNC 86.119. Show less

Brain drain is a contemporary issue of concern in South Africa. This study uses selected data from the major countries to which skilled people from South Africa are migrating to measure the emigration of highly skilled South Africans. The data shows that the emigration rate is much higher than what has been recorded officially in South Africa. At the same time, the increase in the last 10 years is less dramatic than what has been suggested by the South African official data, stemming from the use of a more concrete approach to the country's migration policy. The report is presented in five chapters. The first chapter looks at the reasons why people migrate, exploring the 'pull' and 'push' factors, the size of the country's skilled labour force, and measuring the brain drain; chapter two discusses the impact of the brain drain; chapter three highlights the perceptions and debates on the brain drain and its impact; chapter four looks at policies to manage the brain drain; and the final section concludes with two recommendations, firstly to ensure that the receiving countries provide South African agencies with the relevant data on an annual basis, and secondly, to support 'mobilising its highly skilled expatriates all over the world, for the development of their country of origin'.

This report is part of a series of studies conducted by the International Labour Office under the DFID-sponsored project on 'Skilled labour migration (the 'brain drain') from developing countries: analysis of impact and policy issues'. Available reports are indexed from TD/TNC 86.109 to TD/TNC 86.119. Show less