‘They would be net losers’: Jaishankar warns against excessive immigration roadblocks in US, Europe
Speaking at an interactive session on mobility, Jaishankar’s remarks came amid concerns over the US plan to impose new fees on H-1B visas.
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Wednesday said that countries such as the United States and European nations could harm their own interests if they impose strict restrictions on immigration and the cross-border movement of skilled workers. He said such actions could leave them “net losers.”
Speaking at an interactive session on mobility, Jaishankar’s remarks came amid concerns over the US plan to impose new fees on H-1B visas, following the Trump administration’s tough immigration measures.
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Jaishankar emphasised that the current crises in these countries are not directly linked to the influx of foreign workers. “The actual crisis has nothing to do with the mobility of the incoming workforce," he said.
The minister argued that the challenges faced by Western nations are the result of policy decisions made over the last two decades. “If there are concerns, let us say, in the United States or in Europe, it is because they very consciously and deliberately, over the last two decades, allowed their businesses to relocate. It was their choice and strategy. They have to find ways of fixing it, and many of them are," he said.
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The minister stressed the importance of highlighting the shared advantages of allowing skilled workers to move freely across borders. “The part which concerns us is to convince them that mobility, the use of talent across boundaries, is to our mutual benefit. That they would be net losers if they actually erected too many roadblocks to the flow of talent," he noted.
Looking ahead, Jaishankar pointed out that the demand for specialised talent would continue to rise as economies shift towards advanced manufacturing. “As we move into an era of advanced manufacturing, we will need more talent, not less, and talent cannot be developed organically at a high rate. There is a certain structural impediment out there. In their own societies, you can see the tension," he said.
“They will probably reach some modest vivendi there," Jaishankar added.
(With ANI inputs)
