COMMENTARY: Emigration issues in Dominica

By Joshua Sikiri Francis

In Dominica, like many other developing countries, we continue to haemorrhage highly-skilled, talented individuals (i.e. human capital) and entrepreneurs. As migration has been a massive safety valve in these conditions of weak growth and development over the past decades. Such outflow of nationals is arguably a serious impediment to our true potentials.

Two points of view exist on the matter: the ‘internationalists’, who favour unrestricted international migration of highly skilled individuals as a vehicle to enhance ‘global efficiency’, and the ‘nationalists’ who are concerned with the adverse impact on national development of human capital outflows to advanced economies. Given our stage of development, most Dominicans would maybe proclaim to be nationalist.

The international movement of our human capital (HC) comprises the movement of scientists, engineers (e.g. in the information sector), executives, teachers, nurses and other professionals across frontiers. These are highly-skilled individuals with special talents and specialized knowledge in the scientific, technological and cultural areas. These are people we need to realize any serious economic development.

Another dimension of the international mobility of our talent is entrepreneurial migration, say people with talent for business creation and resource mobilization rather than necessarily individuals with a high stock of formal education.  This includes our technicians, the best of our plumbers and electricians.

From the viewpoint of developing countries (and transition economies), the international mobility of HC has been viewed with a mixture of concern and possibility. On the one hand, we encourage national students to earn graduate degrees abroad (typically in the U.S. and Europe) in science, technology and other disciplines as a way to upgrade their knowledge and human resource base.

However, when our students/professionals stay abroad, or leave their home country, the concern arises of a ‘brain drain’ due to the flight of scarce human capital and talent whose contribution is greatly needed for economic development at home.

The problems caused by the ‘brain drain’ are great. And the harsh reality is that only a handful of countries have been successful in luring their talented emigrés back home, and we are no exception. The continued weak state of our economy among other factors is yet to get palatable to attract our trained nationals. And unfortunately, those who decide to return are often-times frustrated by attitudinal issues in the work-place.

At this stage, the most reasonable step we maybe able to do are to undertake grass-roots initiatives to link researchers and academics abroad to networks at home. We can develop e-mentoring and e-marketing through philanthropic proceedings. In this regard, we can encourage our professionals in the Diaspora to be primary drivers of knowledge and capital flows into the country. With the right mix of policies and sustained international co-operation, we could, as one Indian official pointed out, see the ‘brain drain’ be transformed into a ‘brain bank’.

Whether we admit it or not, our human resource base is fundamental to develop Dominica, and we must develop a way to tap our trained national talents in the development process.

Though remittances from migrants are a valuable source of foreign exchange, and help to reduce poverty, the loss of skilled professionals outstrips any gains from remittances for most Caribbean states as stated by the World Bank and the IMF.

As long as borders remain open, countries such as ours caught up in the ‘brain drain’, may be in the business of education for export. How to manage this to the advantage of the country is the real issue. Some have suggested a deliberate policy of education for export, but why should we talk about deliberate export when we are in desperate need to return our people back on our shores.

The contentious issue of financing tertiary education must be reconsidered in more strict economic terms.  Beneficiaries, of whom are going to migrate, may have to be asked to bear more of the real cost of their education. And those receiving more than basic state support may have to be bonded to give some service here in strategic areas for development.

Furthermore, how to channel more remittance away from consumption and into productive, developmental activities is a significant challenge of economic policy development. The power of remittances would be increased if we invested in more than consumer goods, for if we fail to use the proceeds of remittances to generate capital and sustainable development, we would basically be dependents, perpetually hovering above the poverty line.

Merely to document and lament the ‘brain drain’, which is not about to cease any time soon, is not enough.  Let us look to paths charted by countries such as India who, in today’s atmosphere of globalization, are making concrete efforts to dampen the unwanted effects of ‘brain drain’ on their economic and social development.

The challenge is great for Dominica, capturing benefits mostly depends on attracting back skilled emigrants and providing opportunities for them to use their new technological competencies. Returnees also can bring valuable management experience, entrepreneurial skills and access to global networks. They may even bring venture capital, but this is looking on the bright side.

DISCLAIMER: The views expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect the views of the management and staff of Dominica News Online and its parent company.