Leaving the shores en masse

The country has witnessed the departure of educated professionals on an unprecedented scale over the last few years in search of greener pastures, representing the dire straits the South Asian Island has fallen into in many aspects. The emigration of highly academically competent and professionally accomplished individuals on mass scale – in other words brain drain – is a huge blow for a State where university and school education to a large extent are financed by the taxpayers. 

The outward migration from Sri Lanka to nations that offer a better standard of living is nothing new; however, the scale at which it is taking place signals an extremely worrying sign for the future of this land.

Astonishingly, in terms of volume, the wave of emigration we are witnessing right now far exceeds the level of exodus which was observed at the height of the civil war. Perhaps, the present generation has a greater level of awareness about opportunities to attain permanent residence overseas unlike the previous generations due to widespread access to the internet as well as linkages with the large Sri Lankan diaspora. 

Various explanations have been offered as to why people are abandoning their land of birth in quest to seek a better life elsewhere. Some have erroneously attributed it to the new regime of high direct taxation, which has compelled professionals and academics to forego a reasonable share of their earnings to the Treasury. But such criticisms ignore that Governments in the West impose far higher levels of direct taxation compared to the recently hiked up income tax rates in Sri Lanka. The unfortunate incidents during the climax of the economic crisis have resulted in citizens forming hugely pessimistic views about the nation’s future. 

Most of those who migrate do so out of their desire to provide a top-quality education for their children at a reasonable cost. The highly exam-centred, competitive education system does not make Sri Lanka a good place for a happy childhood. The absence of a well-developed public transportation system, dreadful as well as frequent road accidents together with awful traffic are added reasons for people to find an escape route. Some may be induced to settle down in a utopian country devoid of third-world limitations such as shanties, piled-up garbage in public places, dengue mosquitoes, etc.

Historically, English-speaking countries like the US, UK, Australia, New Zealand, and Canada have been the preferred destinations of Sri Lankan migrants with excellent academic and professional credentials. However, in the recent past, non-English nations in the form of Finland, Switzerland, and Norway too have emerged as choices for educated professionals to seek permanent residence. Apart from academically accomplished individuals, semi-skilled workers too are displaying an all-time-high inclination to move out of the island. Although semi-skilled workers primarily sought jobs in Gulf countries during the bygone era, Israel, South Korea, and Japan have offered more openings for job seekers in Sri Lanka in the recent past.

The mass departure of experienced professionals who cannot be easily replaced would undoubtedly create a plethora of nightmares to the policymakers. In particular, the exit of medical professionals would cause a considerable decline in the nation’s quality of life while the loss of highly skilled employees in the fields of science, engineering, and IT will adversely impact economic growth apart from undermining efforts to attract foreign direct investments.

Emigration has been a recurrent phenomenon in the post-independent Sri Lanka. As soon as the island gained independence from Britain in 1948, Burghers began to migrate as they seriously doubted the ability of the indigenous political class and foresaw a bleak future for them in the sovereign. Thereafter, erudite and scholarly Tamils were forced to leave as they were penalised by the discriminatory policies of successive administrations.

It is patently clear the brain drain is irreversible, and the future will be bleak with the departure of the best and brightest.