Dr. Anjali Sahay is an International Relations specialist and Associate Professor of International Relations and Political Science at Gannon University, USA. Her current work focuses on topics related to International Relations and International Migration.
Dr. Anjali Sahay, in the webinar held on the topic ‘Will There Be Brain Drain Again Post COVID-19?’ conducted on 16 June 2020 by the Global Research Forum on Diaspora and Transnationalism ( GRFDT), affirms to the fact that the pandemic has caused a lot of restrictions in the mobility of people and this in turn has led to an “unprecedented crisis in migration”. Her take on the crux of the issue is that various factors beyond the individual shall determine the migration patterns and the services provided by the state, especially in ensuring accessibility to health care and insurance, shall be deciding factors in framing brain drain and gain.
Changing the Discourse on Brain Drain
She points out that the impact of COVID-19 and the migration patterns that emerges out of this shallbe different fordifferent sectors and countries, making it too early to drawany conclusion regarding the post pandemic migration trends. She also suggested that there is a need to change the discourse on brain drain from seeing “individual as the primary force behind decision making” since COVID-19 has made it clear that the movements of people are being dictated by political leaders, firms and even by a virus. Individuals are attracted to destination countries that offer stable visa status, along with universal health care and insurances.
Immigrant Policies of Trump Administration
She argues that one of the pillars of electoral campaign of Donald Trump, which guaranteed him victory in the US Presidential elections of 2016, was “saving American jobs for American people. In the wake of the pandemic, President Trump announced in April that he would sign an executive order suspending immigration to the United States. The latest decision to cut off immigration by suspending the H-1B visas re-emphasizes this agenda and consequently has forced many migrants to move out of America to countries like Canada which are ready to offer more stable visas.
“Self-inflicted brain drain will happen post COVID in the US, with declining numbers already in both workers as well as students that are now migrating from the United States to Canada which is offering universal health care”: Dr. Anjali Sahay.
She also added that even before the COVID-19 crisis, the unfriendly immigration policies of Trump administration have made migration to USA a less attractive proposition for many migrants from countries like India.
Provision of Universal Health Care
Dr. Sahayhighlights that COVID-19 has reinforced the “provision of universal health care systems and insurance” as one among the key incentive for migration to a country. Off late, even Americans have found these to be better in other countries,particularly their neighbor Canada.
This, coupled with social tensions reflected in upheavals like the Black Lives Matter Movement and the much visible bending over by the Trump administration to please certain groups of the society, is making migration to the USa much less inviting option than before.
Dr. Sahay finally closes her argument with the prediction that America will witness a brain drain from its population. She notes that this shall spell doom for the American economy stating how “many firms in the USA have pointed out that a future economic recovery in America depends on its foreign workers and the high-tech industries” which may not prosper without the genius and labor of migrant workers.
Megha Rangaraj, the writer is an under graduate student with Symbiosis School for Liberal Arts, Pune, India. She is an avid advocate for the emancipation of women and immensely passionate about social issues. She can be found on twitter handle @MeghaRangaraj