The economics of Migration is a complicated phenomenon. At one stage of our history, we saw migration as a safety valve against possible social explosion arising from high unemployment. Migration has also benefitted our economies to the extent that remittances have become a major contributor to foreign exchange receipts in the region.
In contrast to these positives, however, the evidence suggests that Caribbean migration has represented a brain drain which has weakened the skills base and capacity of regional economies. The excessive emigration of skilled labor not only creates immediate gaps in the labour force, which affects productivity, but also means that resources invested in education and training do not benefit the region as intended.