Our poor spend lakhs on agents who help them get visas for Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar, Kuwait and Oman where they will work as labourers. (Representational image/File)
Indians stand out as the grabbers of the largest chunk of foreign visas in the world. Students and professionals line up for US, UK, Canada, Australia and Germany visas at embassies to study in the best colleges and for lucrative jobs. This year, we have approximately 1.8 million Indian students studying abroad and a student spending of some $80 billion.
Visas aren’t just travel documents — they’re gateways to opportunity. Our poor spend lakhs on agents who help them get visas for Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar, Kuwait and Oman where they will work as labourers. Thirteen million Indian nationals are already working there. There is a whole cottage industry that helps them get there legally or barely legally, often fabricating paperwork, concocting references, and sprucing up their English language skills.
We are deft at negotiating visas with foreign heads of state. They also know that nothing pleases Indians more than the “visa cushion”. Indian diplomats have responded gallantly to our insatiable appetite for visas and achieved great success in this regard. Every second bureaucrat’s children are studying abroad and diplomats who are posted abroad love to leave their kids behind to complete their studies and start their lives anew. Visas are a matter of right for us, considering the number of top brains lying idle in our country and just looking at various consulates with wistful eyes. One of the many important considerations in backing Kamala Harris or Donald Trump in the impending US elections is the number of visas each is expected to announce after taking over.
The German Chancellor visiting India announced a record annual intake of 90,000 Indian skilled workers instead of the hitherto measly 20,000. Another milestone was achieved with the issuance of the highest-ever number of 1,40,000 student visas by the US consulates in 2023, along with over 3,80,000 employment visas. This year, till June, the previous high mark has also been breached. Students, professionals and the middle class — all want to migrate to a white country which is rich and salubrious. Come September, there is a steady outflow of the brightest students from India to various US universities.
Those who are able to, revoke their citizenship to settle abroad. In 2022, 2,25,620 Indians relinquished their citizenship. In 2023, it came down marginally to 2,16,219. In contrast, 1,000 immigrants are granted citizenship per year, most of them from Pakistan. Many professionals are moving their base to the UAE to avoid taxes and hassles with the government.
The last category wishing to emigrate are those with extremist political ideas and those without visas. Since Khalistan as an idea finds few takers in Punjab, they seek islands of support in Canada, the US and the UK ostensibly as asylum seekers. A few days back, a plane-load of illegal immigrants from India was returned by the US authorities. Muslim refugees from war-torn zones of the world also want to live in first-world countries.
It is disconcerting to see this migration, though it forms a very small percentage of our population. However, studies show that India loses around 0.5 per cent of its GDP annually due to this migration. They go for better education, jobs, salaries, environment, ease of business and living. It hurts because some of the best minds, entrepreneurs, doctors, engineers and scientists are leaving India and we need them here badly. Adam Smith’s “invisible hand” of labour going to the highest payer continues unabated.
When a country with the fourth-largest economy loses its best talent, it is time to wake up. Celebrity stars of cricket and cinema giving joy to the public can rightfully earn many crores a year. But a top nuclear scientist, mathematician, engineer, doctor or economist can add greater value and wealth to the country. Why can’t we think out of the box to keep them here? Allocate a separate budget just to pay them stupendous amounts and provide the best facilities. Why can’t we have reservation for the highest-paid best jobs for our brightest? We may be feeding the largest number of poor in the world free but greater recognition on the world stage will only come when we win more Nobels, Olympic medals, Pulitzers, Oscars, Grammies and awards in all other fields. To be a superpower, India needs its best talent at home.
The writer is a former Central Information Commissioner and a retired IPS officer who served as Secretary, Security, and Special Director, Intelligence Bureau. Views are personal
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First uploaded on: 02-11-2024 at 14:00 IST
