RemittancesGateway.org

The report, which was launched in Jamaica recently, comes against the backdrop of 72.6 per cent of Jamaicans with tertiary education emigrating to other countries, with many observers describing this as brain drain.

According to the report, titled 'Overcoming Barriers: Human Mobility and Development', Jamaica has an emigration rate of 26.7 per cent, with the major continent of destination being North America, with 73 per cent.

The report argues that migrants boost economic output, at little or no cost to locals. The study calls on countries of origin and destination to reform their practices in how they look at migration.

"International cooperation, especially through bilateral or regional agreements, can lead to better migration management, improved protection of migrants' rights and enhanced contributions of migrants to both origin and destination countries," the report states.

Benefits for jamaica

It lists six points to open up migration. These include opening up existing entry channels so that more workers can emigrate; ensuring basic rights for migrants; lowering the transaction costs of migration; finding solutions that benefit both destination communities and the migrants they receive; making it easier for people to move within their own countries; and mainstreaming migration into national development strategies.

Jamaica benefits from migration to other countries with huge inflows into the country's coffers through remittances.

Despite a multimillion-dollar shortfall in remittance inflows into Jamaica because of the global recession, it still remains the country's highest foreign-exchange earner.

Figures from the Bank of Jamaica show that there was a 12.9 per cent decrease in remittance inflows into the island from January to August this year when compared with the same period last year. However, the country still received US$994 million.

Negative effects

According to the 2007 edition of the Economic and Social Survey (Jamaica), remittances - the leading source of foreign-currency inflows to the country - positively influence welfare and poverty reduction. At the same time, it has negatively impacted the family unit and the working-age population.

Experts have argued that despite the benefits from migration, children are left without guidance and the best human talent is being used elsewhere.

The report goes further, arguing that the current downturn should be used to institute a new deal for migrants, one that will benefit workers at home and abroad while guarding against a protectionist backlash.