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Is the Brain Drain an Unmitigated Blessing?

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  • Riccardo Faini

Abstract

Increasingly, immigration policies tend to favour the entry of skilled workers, raising substantial concerns among sending countries. The 'revisionist' approach to the analysis of the brain drain holds that such concerns are largely unwarranted. First, sustained migratory flows may be associated with an equally large flow of remittances. Second, migrants may return home after having acquired a set of productive skills. Finally, the ability to migrate abroad may boost the incentive to acquire skills by home residents.

Suggested Citation

  • Riccardo Faini, 2003. "Is the Brain Drain an Unmitigated Blessing?," WIDER Working Paper Series DP2003-64, World Institute for Development Economic Research (UNU-WIDER).
  • Handle: RePEc:unu:wpaper:dp2003-64
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    References listed on IDEAS

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