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This isn't addressing the main point of your comment, but a side issue: > Very few detractors in the west have any issues with highly qualified immigrants occu
by stinkbeetle 1y ago
This isn't addressing the main point of your comment, but a side issue:
> Very few detractors in the west have any issues with highly qualified immigrants occupying scientific or research roles. Being opportunistic with which kind of immigrants [...].
I'm not a detractor of any individual immigrant, certainly not a very skilled one. But I am dumbfounded when I hear people say how wonderful immigration is "for the economy", "for the health system", etc., because we can lure all these bright people over from poor countries with offers they can't get at home.
Like... Mozambique needs good doctors and nurses too. Sudan needs good engineers. Syria needs entrepreneurs.
I don't begrudge the immigrant one bit for moving to get more money or a better life or whatever it is that motivates them, and they sure do contribute to the place they move to. But harvesting the best and brightest minds from poor countries on an industrial scale isn't something that sits too well for me at all. The merits and effects could be debated and disagreed, but it certainly requires much deeper thought than just the greed driven "good for my economy, good for my healthcare, good for me" type quips.
I actually think of it as neocolonialism. The most valuable resource in this day and age is people, and wealthy countries are plundering the human capital from the poor ones like they did with resources in previous centuries. Throwing a bit of charity at them whenever the next outbreak or famine or civil war rolls around doesn't make up for it.