Freedom of movement is a fundamental right in the European Union. Still, it is now one of the main reasons some member states see their young talent and skilled workers leaving for the more affluent Western countries. If the challenge of the brain drain is not addressed effectively, cohesion between different regions and countries in Europe will become even more fragile.
According to a World Bank report, one in three migrants in the world go to Europe. Millions of people from all parts of the world consider Europe the ideal destination for a higher quality of life in pursuit of better education, jobs, healthcare or simply a safer place.
But the EU itself is facing a growing challenge as better educated or skilled workers migrate from the poorer member states to countries like Germany and Ireland. In Italy, regions in the country’s south suffer from a brain drain as the more skilled workers seek better opportunities in the more affluent north.
The vast departure of educated and skilled individuals leaves countries shouldering a major fiscal burden, which in turn hits economic productivity and the development of important public services, including healthcare and education. Some countries have tried to reverse this problem by applying short-term tactics rather than addressing the root causes.
North European countries like Germany are suffering from a lack of skilled workers. They have now adopted the “qualified migration” solution, which they wrongly believe is a magic formula that will spare them from applying more effective reforms.
For instance, the German government has enacted a new law to make it easier for interested young people from the Balkans to take up employment in Germany. Nurses from Kosovo, for example, face unemployment risks in their country, so they are more than willing to take up the challenge of migrating to Germany. The UK and Ireland are similarly trying to recruit healthcare professionals from English-speaking countries that pay significantly lower salaries.
The most effective long-term approach for countries to stem their brain drain is to discourage citizens from leaving in the first place by giving them a reason to stay
It is no longer financial consideration that drives people away from their country. People go because they can. The more attractive training opportunities in wealthier countries are tempting. Those who are better educated or skilled appreciate the more affluent Western cities’ international atmosphere, better public services and quality of life.
So, what needs to be done to reverse the effects of the brain drain in many European countries?
Cyril Muller, the author of a World Bank paper, argues: “First and foremost, we must recognise that persistent emigration is usually the symptom, not the cause, of an underlying problem. Governments should address fundamental issues with policies aimed at improving governance, strengthening institutions and improving the delivery of public services.”
Muller gives examples of the necessary changes like increasing productivity in high-skilled occupations, many of which are in the public sector, making wages more competitive, and improving tertiary and post-graduate education.
Ultimately, the most effective long-term approach for countries to stem their brain drain is to discourage citizens from leaving in the first place by giving them a reason to stay. This means providing better jobs, more opportunities and a higher standard of living.
Italian journalist Stefania D’Ignoti has more specific recommendations for addressing Italy’s brain drain. She argues that those who leave for wealthier countries do not only do so for job opportunities but also for access to high-quality services and bureaucracy. While the Italian government intends to spend a large part of EU recovery funds to address these challenges, D’Ignoti believes it also needs to address the problem of organised crime, whose presence in the south is among the top arguments against staying for young professionals.
Structural policies are, first and foremost, a problem for individual member states. But the adverse effects of short-sighted labour market policies will impact the cohesion of the Union in the long term. Individual member states must no longer ignore the demographic challenges of an ageing population, falling birth rates, and a brain drain of young people leaving for a better future in other counties.
The EU needs to start looking at distributing its resources by region rather than per capita. Britain must do the same to bridge the gap between the affluent southeast and the poorer northern regions. The short-term solution of recruiting skilled low-cost labour from third countries is, at best, a temporary measure.
Investment in human capital takes a long time to reap results. Still, it is a sure way to build an economy that will stand the pressures of deteriorating demographics and improve the quality of life of communities.