THE LURE OF GREENER GRASS 

Janaka Perera laments the exodus of skilled workers and its adverse impact

“The politicians we had failed to convert the political sovereignty we won into economic sovereignty…” This observation by historical anthropologist Dr. Michael Roberts unravels the root causes of Sri Lanka’s brain drain since the 1950s.

In that decade, we witnessed the first wave of migration in the form of English-speaking Burghers. It was a consequence of the impractical haste to impose the ‘Sinhala only’ language policy. The implementation of this policy and failure to teach English in government schools affected not only Burghers but others who were used to working in English in the public sector as well.

The next wave of outbound migration took root following the ethnic riots in 1983 when politically backed mobs targeted the Tamil community. Subsequently, the second insurgency by the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) in 1987 and resumption of the civil war in 1990 saw many Sinhalese and more Tamils leaving our shores.

Subsequent mass migration wasn’t due to ethnic unrest or political violence but because of economic problems that have intensified in more recent decades. This third wave included mostly professionals migrating to the Middle East and the West.

According to figures released by the Sri Lanka Bureau of Foreign Employment (SLBFE), more than 300,000 Sri Lankans of all communities left the island by securing jobs overseas in 2022, which is the highest number to do so in the country’s history.

Sri Lanka’s brain drain is mainly due to a lack of economic opportunities and social stagnation. It’s also likely that many Sri Lankan undergraduates who are currently studying in foreign universities may not return home after they graduate, opting to remain overseas instead.

Most students studying in leading government, private and international schools in Colombo are lost to the country forever. Even the largest government school in Colombo doesn’t have more than 700 students completing secondary education annually – indeed, the large number of students who are currently overseas is alarming.

A year into Sri Lanka’s sharp economic decline saw the country’s public health service being brought to its knees due to a shortage of medicines, delayed surgeries and an exodus of medical professionals.

Although widely touted as one of the best in the region around two decades ago, Sri Lanka’s healthcare sector is in crisis as many doctors and senior consultants have migrated.

Though the IT industry has also lost talent, many industry leaders have chosen to remain in the country. Some left Sri Lanka to study and gain experience, and then returned home.

The Computer Society of Sri Lanka (CSSL) estimates that though at least 10,000 IT engineers have migrated since the economic crisis unfolded, some have returned to the island.

Worsening poverty and unemployment resulting from the economic crisis have seen thousands of other skilled workers also migrate to foreign countries to find jobs.

Sadly, many have become victims of racketeers with disastrous consequences.

This delicate situation can also be manipulated by drug trafficking networks and terrorist groups, which may try to radicalise jobless youth who are vulnerable to the temptation of earning quick money to support their families at home.

Al Jazeera recently reported that hundreds of Sri Lankans are now serving as mercenaries with the Russian military in Ukraine. Most of them had been lured into combat by Russia’s offer of salaries up to US$ 3,000 (circa Rs. 900,000) a month and the prospect of Russian citizenship.

While nations such as India have suffered brain drain at various times, many of them have managed to stabilise the situation by creating employment opportunities at home. Other countries include South Korea, Taiwan, Malaysia and several Middle Eastern nations.

At the time of independence, Sri Lanka’s foreign currency reserves were high. Except for food shortages and two Japanese air raids, the island barely suffered the consequences of World War II, which other countries in the region experienced.

Sri Lanka had a promising future; it had the potential to develop and become the paradise it’s meant to be. However, it didn’t take long for political expediency to ruin the nation’s chances for development.

To stem further migration, the government must (with the help of the IMF, other donor agencies and even India) chalk out a clear plan.

It must address the hiring of skilled and unskilled workers, and use their talents to build infrastructure and resilient organisations that are strong enough to provide a stable future for future generations.

National awareness programmes should be conducted to educate youth on their duty to the country and the risks involved in migrating must be explained so they don’t fall prey to human traffickers.

And it’s important to address the root causes of brain drain first, before trying to mitigate its negative impact – and retain talent here at home.