No one leaves home unless home is the mouth of a shark. Home is where the heart is. But we see people leaving their homeland for greener pastures abroad. For dignity, safety and a better future people have been migrating to foreign destinations. It’s an expression of human aspiration. Migration is a process, not a problem.
So far so good. But of late there is a steady exodus of Indians. More and more people are choosing to renounce their Indian citizenship to become citizens of other countries. The reasons could be myriad. For some it is quality education, for some better lifestyle and health care facilities and for yet others better work opportunities and higher pay packets. For many blue-collar workers with in-demand skills accommodating jobs matters a lot. Can this brain drain be stopped? Looks next to impossible.
Figures presented by the External Affairs Minister, S. Jaishankar, in Parliament show that a whopping 2,25,620 Indians gave up their citizenship in 2022 as against 1,31,489 in 2015. And since 2011 this number adds up to a staggering 16,63,440. According to an UN report nearly 18 million Indians were living outside their country of birth in 2020.
Well, Indians have been going overseas for study and work and it is not a new phenomenon. But what is surprising is the pace with which they are relinquishing their citizenship. This flies in the face of tall claims of Indian passports being much sought after.
The US, of course, continues to be a magnetic draw for many followed by Canada, Australia and the UK. Other top destinations are Sweden, Germany, Italy, Singapore, New Zealand and the Netherlands. Forget students and IT professionals, even high net-worth individuals (HNWIs) are choosing to relocate. If statistics are anything to go by India is going to be the second biggest loser of its millionaires after China. Taxes and complex remittance rules are said to be the reason why the super rich are migrating.
There are always some push or pull factors for people to leave their country at enormous financial cost not to speak of the emotional upheaval of separating from their kith and kin. Mostly it is the promise of big bucks that draws one to attractive destinations. In the case of the US it is its technological advancement that appeals a lot to professionals. “I see immense value in gaining exposure to cutting- edge technologies and working on challenging projects”, says Mohd Ibrahim, a Solution Architect in Detroit’s Automotive Cluster. He shifted a couple of years ago from Pollachi, a sleepy town in Tamil Nadu to Detroit, the automobile capital of the world.
Another reason why young professionals prefer the US is the presence of tech giants and multinational companies which translates into better career opportunities and higher salaries. A Standardized work schedule with no pressure to work beyond 40 hours a week is another factor. “It means we can spend more quality time with family”, says Ibrahim’s wife, Rukhsana Parveen.
The same is true of most other destinations as well. Ask any NRI and pat comes the reply: personal growth, professional success and an improved quality of life is the reason why they want to shift. Lack of basic amenities in India like clean drinking water, inefficient public health infrastructure, air pollution, and corruption are factors which have a major say in people deciding to jump ship. The unpalatable truth is that many people are losing hope in the land they grew up in.
In recent times many Muslims are also leaving rather fleeing India as they feel they are ‘no longer welcome’ in the country of their birth. What drives them out is the growing anti-Muslim prejudice and atmosphere of hate. Many feel insecure on account of what is called ‘institutionalised persecution’ of Muslims under the BJP regime. The storm kicked up by the ‘intolerance’ remark made by Bollywood actor, Aamir Khan, is still fresh in memory. But given the socio-economic condition of the community only a miniscule number can afford to leave. However, the educated and those from privileged backgrounds are heading to lucrative destinations at the first available opportunity.
Can we stop this trickle from becoming a tide? No way. At the most the pace can be slowed down. It can’t be reversed completely, say sociologists. Unless they are given a better life at home – competitive pay, professional opportunities, a decent education, a decent health care system and security people will continue to leave their land of origin.
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