Turning a Brain Drain Into a Brain Gain

SOUTH FLORIDA – The second Trump Administration’s immigration enforcement policies are a wake up call to those who were not paying attention to the campaign trail. Voting affects everyone, even those who do not vote. The Caribbean is getting ready for more deportations and many returning citizens.
The last published list indicated that the number of non-detained noncitizens with final orders of removal was substantial. 426 for The Bahamas, 899 for Belize, 151 for Barbados, 102 for Bermuda, 42,084 for Cuba, 12,699 for Dominican Republic, 149 for Grenada, 1,236 for Guyana, 32, 363 for Haiti, 5,120 for Jamaica and so forth.
These are mostly people who have lived and worked in the USA without problems. They pay taxes, like sales taxes, and help the economy grow. They also send remittances home to support family and friends. Their lives are about to be upended and some will not have many ties in their countries of origin.
Welcomed Back Home
These involuntary returnees need to be welcomed back home and integrated into society quickly. Their US assets, like bank accounts, may be frozen. They might not have a place to stay. They have work experience from a developed country, which can help the countries they move to.
I was born in Jamaica and grew up between Kingston and South Florida. When I lived in the USA, I felt like an expat. I did not move to the USA to build a life there or retire. I always knew the Caribbean was my home. It would always welcome me back. I chose to move back and work there many times. I wanted to keep my relationships strong and invest in the region, especially in Jamaica.
While serving on the Jamaica Diaspora Advisory Board, I realized that this was actually rare. Many people, especially those with tertiary education, had migrated seeking better opportunities and may return to retire but they were firmly focused on achieving the American, Canadian or British dream. I did my best to encourage people to not forget yard because we could play a role in helping to developing the Caribbean, especially in case we ever needed to return sooner than planned.
Brain Drain Into a Brain Gain
The Brain Drain experienced by developing countries is severe and the Caribbean is no different from India. Those remittances sent back are major contributors to the local economy and so we should not berate those who have chosen to seek better opportunities but I hope that the importance of contributing to a better home country is now plainly visible to all of those who left for any reason.
This approach to immigration could be highly destabilizing to countries in the region and policymakers need to be prepared to turn lemons into lemonade because this presents a massive opportunity to governments and businesses with regards to increasing productivity and filling vacant positions with qualified candidates who may be in the pool of returning residents.
The brain drain can turn into a brain gain if managed well. This can help boost the economy in our region. I do not think that “nowhere nuh betta dan yaad.” However, I believe we can help improve our home countries.
Diaspora Bond
We have just launched our Diaspora Bond and continue to lead the effort to unlock Diaspora Direct Investment, DDI, rather than depending on Foreign Direct Investment, FDI. With the pause of USAID due to this administration’s insular approach to foreign policy, we collectively have an even more critical role to play in the funding of crucial infrastructure development and other projects.
Foreign Aid
No longer can the Caribbean depend on the USA to fulfill promises that were made. It is time to remove dependencies. Any foreign aid received should be seen as extra, not as the needed funding to improve the region.
My heart goes out to those who are now living in fear in the USA because the color of your skin or your accent now makes you a target for immigration authorities even if you are there legally. No one should have to walk with papers to prove that they deserve to be there or be afraid to call the police when they are needed.
We are not as safe today as we were before November 2024. You can help make our home country safer. It will always welcome you.
Walk good.
David Mullings is the founder, chairman and ceo of Blue Mahoe Capital and was the first Future Leaders Representative for the USA on the Jamaica Diaspora Advisory Board. He can be found at www.davidmullings.com