Lowell

“For those who oppose labour migration to the UK and Europe, the potential for brain drain has become a useful political stick with which to beat those who want to see access to the world’s most successful labour markets opened up to those who live outside them.”1


Prefer the term “brain strain” to “brain drain” as it emphasises the two-way nature of the process.2

See international migration as an integral part of globalization and economic development and that things can be managed to be beneficial for both countries involved.3

Claims that Brazil would benefit from a higher level of increased skill emigration, as this would help stimulate higher education study.4


basic theory is that Brain strain will slow down the economic development of developing countries unless the following are promoted (1) managed migration, promoting temporary and circular migration (2) policies to increase the influence of the diaspora on home country through the transfer of knowledge and skills, remittances and investment (3) promotion of democracy and institutions, especially educational, in the sending country.5

1H Crawley & D Sriskandarajah “Preface” in B Lowell, A Findlay & E Stewart, Brain Strain: Optimising High Skilled Migration from Developing Countries, Asylum and Migration Working Paper 3, (London: IPPR, 2004) 3–4, 3.

2B Lowell, A Findlay & E Stewart, Brain Strain: Optimising High Skilled Migration from Developing Countries, Asylum and Migration Working Paper 3, (London: IPPR, 2004) 6.

3B Lowell, A Findlay & E Stewart, Brain Strain: Optimising High Skilled Migration from Developing Countries, Asylum and Migration Working Paper 3, (London: IPPR, 2004) 6.

4B Lowell, A Findlay & E Stewart, Brain Strain: Optimising High Skilled Migration from Developing Countries, Asylum and Migration Working Paper 3, (London: IPPR, 2004) 11.

5B Lowell, A Findlay & E Stewart, Brain Strain: Optimising High Skilled Migration from Developing Countries, Asylum and Migration Working Paper 3, (London: IPPR, 2004) 13.