Caribbean: COMMENTARY: Brain Drain or Export Earnings?

By Sir Ronald SandersSpecial to Huntington News Network

The United States has become the principal beneficiary of the migration from Caribbean countries of its best educated people. But the US is not the only developed country that has benefited from the Caribbean’s investment in the education of its people: Canada, Holland and the United Kingdom are also beneficiaries. The figures for migration of secondary and tertiary educated people are high for every Caribbean country. The most recent study shows that Suriname led the field for migration of tertiary educated people at 89.9% followed by Guyana at 85.9%, Jamaica at 82.5%, Haiti at 81.6%, St Kitts-Nevis at 71.6% and Antigua and Barbuda at 70%.

Of the Commonwealth Caribbean countries, only the Bahamas and St Lucia were below 40%. By the same token, many Caribbean countries profit from large remittances sent back to the region by its people who live abroad. In fact, in relation to its Gross National Product (GNP), the Caribbean area is the largest recipient in the world of remittances. The largest single source of such remittances is the United States. [Read more]