Global Futures Initiative

Such reductionist approaches to migration have recently gained momentum. Instead of relying on biased “politics of fear” [2], policy makers need to focus on tapping the potential of migration and managing possible challenges. As Dr. Kim emphasized in his inaugural Global Futures lecture, preconceived ideas often lead to deficient analyses. Discussions on migration too often remain behind such mental veils by only examining rigid consequences of migration in a given setting. Few consider how these settings evolve as such, and how they could be altered in order to be more beneficial to all actors.

The benefits of thinking outside the box can be considerable. Currently, approximately 3.2 percent of the world’s population are international migrants. This number is surprisingly low in comparison to transnational flows of capital and goods, partly because restriction, selection, and control of ‘the other’ has become a recurrent political narrative. Dani Rodrik concludes that already slightly loosened restrictions would reap huge benefits for lower-income countries. He holds that “if the leaders of the advanced nations were serious about boosting incomes around the world and in doing so equitably, they would focus single-mindedly on reforming the rules that govern international labor mobility” [3].

Even within the current framework, economic outcomes depend heavily on factors that migrants themselves cannot influence. For instance, the potential of migration is contingent on the ease of access to qualifications, foreign qualifications approval, working restrictions, occupational mobility and societal inclusion. These and more variables constitute levers for policy makers to manage migration as an opportunity - and not as a source of diffuse fears rooted in preconceived ideas.

Finally, focusing on migration as a mere question of economic gain or loss ignores the complex human dimensions it encompasses. The subjects of this discussion are not abstract objects, but human beings, that live, think, hope, and deserve dignity in every regard. This is emphasized by the words of Swiss writer Max Frisch, who reminds us of a key characteristic of migration: “We called for labour force - and human beings arrived instead” [4].

Jonas Bergmann is a Fulbright fellow in the MSFS program at Georgetown University. A passionate scholar of International Development, Bergmann is particularly dedicated to Human Rights and Migration.

[1] Paraphrasing Rodrik, Dani (2011): The Globalization Paradox: Democracy and the Future of the World Economy. Kindle Edition, around location 4300.  
[2] Huysmans, Jef (2006): The Politics of Insecurity: Fear, Migration and Asylum in the EU. Routledge: Londo, p.52.  
[3] Rodrik, Dani (2011): The Globalization Paradox: Democracy and the Future of the World Economy. Kindle Edition, around location 4300.  
[4] Frisch, Max (1967): Öffentlichkeit als Partner. Suhrkamp: Zürich, p.100. Original quote: "Man hat Arbeitskräfte gerufen, und es kommen Menschen.“