One Day I’ll Fly Away…
October 14th, 2007 by Ecaterina Sanalatii
One of the initial purposes of immigration is to invest into human capital. This is a quick solution that a government can offer to train, develop skills and knowledge, provided that those that immigrate return to their home country. This is a much cheaper and quicker measure rather than a reform in education, which as experience shows takes decades. There is evidence that this works, especially in transition countries ? Kazakhstan being just one example. It also is a way to establish business and trade links by those that immigrate, as well as contact for future partnership and development between skilled students, workers, companies and government, and finally monitor the flow of migration and immigration. It should be kept in mind that in our modern society, immigration is an unavoidable consequence of globalization. The problem in Moldova, however, is that it acts more as a supplier of skilled workers and capable students, rather than engage in circular immigration. The challenge is to become beneficiaries and not only contributors of skilled workers and future skilled workers.
The causes of immigration are somewhat clear. There are many push and pull factors that make students and workers want to leave their country. Researchers for example are attracted by the innovative climate in the west, as well as available funds invested in their work. Alike all the other skilled workers and students they are undervalued and highly underpaid in Moldova. The country is in transition and it cannot provide funds for ?research and development, science, technology based industries and the health care sector? (UNICEF CAPES). These happen to be the sectors that Western Europe and America are most willing to invest into, due to the nature of their economy which is currently mainly based on 3rd and 4th sectors of production. Consequently these are the areas where they lack skilled workers. This causes, to name but a few, cause skilled workers and employers to settle abroad.
Should these skilled workers have returned home and applied their newly gained skills they would ameliorate some aspects of the society and contribute to the economic growth of the company. For example Alina Postolachi, a former HMC scholar returned to her home town Balti and developed the activities in Moldova of Council for Unity, an international NGO. Even though she then went to America for training she decided to return home. During her studies in the UK she actively engaged in fundraising for children that suffer from tuberculosis in her home country. Even though she accepted a further scholarship to complete her A-Levels, she decided to return home. Unfortunately, this is not the case of all the scholars. Many of them upon completing their studies in the UK or elsewhere refuse to return home, at least because Moldavian universities, despite signing the Bologna Protocol, do not accept UK certificates.
If the causes of immigration are clear, there is no empirical evidence to its consequences. Nevertheless, one consequence is clear ? Moldova is losing its most skilled citizens and unless it undertakes policies it will be hard to improve its economic performance without these people. It should attempt to invest into human capital and incentivize them to stay in their country. It should provide conditions for academic research and invest into higher education. It should also manage its unemployment rates, so that upon completion people have a workplace. Above all, it should stimulate circular migration so that the desires of young Moldovans to travel, study and work abroad are satisfied, yet all the time keep in mind the need to bring them back.
Ecaterina Sanalatii
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