[SnaazTee]

Image Source

Australia’s decision to cap international student enrolments at 270,000 for 2025 reflects a broader trend among developed economies to limit migration, mirroring recent actions by other countries.

Canada has also introduced restrictions, reducing the share of temporary foreign workers from 6.2% to 5% over the next three years and cutting international student visas by 35% for 2024.

Similarly, the UK has implemented visa restrictions for overseas workers and family members of international students, while the Netherlands has decided to limit international student enrolments.

These migration restrictions are often justified by concerns over job and housing markets, but they overlook the positive contributions migrants make to labour-short economies.

For instance, Canada and Australia face elections next year, and their governments are responding to growing public insecurities about migration

Image Source

However, data reveals that migrants play a crucial role in addressing labour shortages, as indicated by the UK’s Office for National Statistics, which reported that non-EU migrants have significantly contributed to alleviating staffing shortages over the past four years.

In Australia, international education contributed $24.7 billion to the economy in 2022-2023, making it the fourth-largest export.

Article Source

Or

You feel they overlook the positive contributions migrants make to labour-short economies?!


Image Source

[Omkar]

Thread moved from the Assembly Line to Shifting Gears. Thanks for sharing!

[GTO]

As an extremely patriotic personality, I am very happy with these developments. Brain drain is not good for any country, and if the talented people stay here, it helps India in the long run. I put my money where my mouth is = I also returned to India when I had good opportunities (careerwise) in the USA.

[androdev]

Quality higher education is one of the most unmet needs in India, a primary driver for immigration. I don't know the policy restrictions related to foreign universities opening campus in India but it's a move that's long overdue. As such many prestigious academic institutions of the world recognise the quality of Indian students seeking admission - to the extent that they have to be denied admission for reasons unrelated to merit.

Indian govt should take this opportunity to facilitate reputed foreign universities to open campuses in India. This will have such a positive effect on our economy, it's a pity nobody is thinking about it.

The restrictions on immigration are totally understandable from these countries. They clearly want immigrants that have high purchasing power who can make significant tax contributions and restrict those who are going to be a burden on their welfare system. However, they can't completely shut the doors as they may not like to admit but they need immigrants for various reasons.

Countries of just 5-10 million population (most EU ones) can have existential crisis if they don't approach immigration with utmost care. Larger countries like USA, Canada and Australia are less vulnerable to sudden demographic changes and never really had a strong cultural identity/heritage that locals wish to preserve like in the EU countries.

Immigration is going to get a lot more political in the coming years.

[prajwalmr62]

Originally Posted by androdev

Quality higher education is one of the most unmet needs in India, a primary driver for immigration.

Indian govt should take this opportunity to facilitate reputed foreign universities to open campuses in India. This will have such a positive effect on our economy, it's a pity nobody is thinking about it.

Most of the time, higher education is not for the quality of education, but the visa that comes with it. Sad, but true. So, these colleges opening up their branches in India will not do much good for them.

Originally Posted by androdev

Immigration is going to get a lot more political in the coming years.

True that.

[KadiNiSikhiya]

As someone who is associated with the Immigration "industry", from experience can say that all these restrictions impact a very small percentage of migrants who either due to financial restrictions or personal choice opt for such countries and measures. Restrictive policies of foreign governments make things harder for migrants who are already there. They don't deter the ones that plan to migrate, in fact, it only adds up to the thriving illegal "donkey" system of migration because it is a logical fact that any kind of regulation/prohibition, doesn't cull the demand, rather shifts it to parallel economy, as often seen in the case of alcohol prohibition.

[dragracer567]

Originally Posted by SnaazTee

You feel they overlook the positive contributions migrants make to labour-short economies?!

It depends on the country really. In Australia and Canada, the population has generally been receptive to immigration, it helps that illegal entry is impossible to these countries unlike the EU or the US. However, the problem has been the inflation especially when it comes to home prices along with folks misusing the relatively immigration-friendly system.

It’s different in countries like the UK, US and the EU, these countries are unable to control illegal immigration which means they control legal immigration to appease the electorate but this doesn’t really help them in anyway.

[Turbohead]

I respect their decisions with respect to immigration since the West is practically in a soup, especially UK, where the refugees have become a nuisance to the locals resulting in the riots we have come to know of.

However, I feel that visitor visas are needlessly difficult, especially the US. I know a few folks who tried visiting their relatives for weddings/trip of a lifetime and they all got rejected. I feel they should remove such harsh requirements for visitors but then again it's our people who misuse every option to illegally reside there.

Regards to education, you definitely need a stay back permit for a certain number of years to recover the ridiculously high cost of education else it simply doesn't make sense.

[fhdowntheline]

I believe each country has the right to take decisions in its geopolitical, domestic, military and economic interests. We need to come to terms with it and work accordingly. Why dont we come up to speed on indigenous research, development, intellectual property , create socio-economic might based on the above and then dictate reciprocal terms to others?

[vinya_jag]

From the perspective of those countries, it is a bad idea. Most of these countries are losing population, and need skilled and bright minds to keep their economy buzzing. Countries like Japan have stayed away from bringing in immigrants, and are barely holding on.

From our perspective, it does not make much economic sense these days for people migrating out. For our brightest minds, there are opportunities in India which also benefit to almost similar levels (Purchasing power). However, we need a good percentage that brings in opportunity and knowledge from the Developed world. But what this leads to is that we end up solving the first world problems. AI/ Space research/ Crypto etc, while we neglect our own multitude of problems such as Education, Traffic, Pollution, Climate disasters, Farming inefficiencies.

[pedrolourenco]

Originally Posted by GTO

Brain drain is not good for any country, and if the talented people stay here, it helps India in the long run.

Originally Posted by androdev

Quality higher education is one of the most unmet needs in India, a primary driver for immigration.

With restrictions people will be forced to stay in India, study in India and work in India. Now companies require staff with good education (which is available abroad). The education system in India will automatically change to meet the needs of the industry as there will be many students willing to pay for quality education. The same students who would have otherwise gone abroad.

[lapis_lazuli]

The nett cost of higher education will start rising at an even faster rate and get locked at approximately 5-10% lower than costs abroad. It is not guaranteed that the quality of education, educators or students would improve at the same pace. There will be a bit of jingoism: we will also "restrict" visas as a tit for tat, while not exactly being sure, why. We will be overly dominated by the biggest menace that is: the social media influencers like Dalal. Education will lose its relevance in and by the social media. Till we become an entirely consuming society. Adrenaline and goods!

[Janus]

Visa restrictions are good, it protects a country's culture. With current state of affairs, we can only expect more restrictions in the coming years.

Governments have burnt their hands with liberal policies, now they understand what it means to have unlimited liberal migration.

One good example with Canada, as soon as the government announced new policy recently, Indian students took to the streets protesting to keep them inside the country through one or the other means.

[Earthroamer]

I respect any country's decision to protect its borders, culture, economy etc by restricting immigration. The unchecked immigration has ruined many quaint places, especially in UK, that I know of, which sometimes makes you wonder, whether you are really in UK.

There's nothing wrong with immigrants holding to their culture/values, however, its utmost important that immigrants should adapt to host country's culture and values first and assimilate properly. If the immigrant lot cannot do that and ghettoise themselves, the cultural clashes, racism and discrimination will pop from it.

I cringe whenever I read politically charged marketing lines like, "melting pot of cultures". I want Germany to be Germany, UK to be UK, China to be China, India to be India. That's what makes geography and tourism best.

[shancz]

Their Land Their Rules is what I go by and voted likewise.

I am not comfortable with the fact that a third party(visa authority) unrelated to me is going to decide who can/cannot visit me.
I can say this since I had a reasonable stint in UAE, with options to head out further north-west, I came back. This was a major reason for that decision.