An ongoing debate in contemporary Nigeria is not just about the inauguration of a new president on Monday 29 May 2023 but also the issue of migration to Europe and America for educational purposes. Although there is nothing new in Nigerians studying abroad, however, a television interview with a young Nigerian, a dependent of a Nigerian studying in the United Kingdom  – EMDEE TIAMIYU – had made this issue a burning one. As Tiamiyu claimed, many Nigerians who are studying in Europe these days did not need the education but were using the opportunity to relocate their dependents.

While not discounting the possibility of some students doing this, I however found the claim outrageous. In 2009, I relocated to the Netherlands for my doctoral studies. I did not go with my dependents; however, I knew many students who did and those, like me, that did not.

After completing my doctorate degree in 2012, I returned from the Netherland to Nigeria and return to the Joseph Ayo Babalola University where I was teaching before relocating to the Netherlands. Again, in 2013, I relocated from Nigeria to the United States not because I wanted to study but because I was offered a tenure-track appointment at one of the American universities. Unlike when I was a student in the Netherlands, this time, my dependents relocated with me and have since become American citizens.

The stories above are different from that of the students described by the student in the said interview; however, common to these stories is the issue of migration. I do not think I am overstretching the rope by contributing my voice to the debate on migration either for employment purposes for dependents or for educational purposes.

In the below, rather than weighing in on the policy changes introduced by the United Kingdom, I want to limit myself to the larger issue of migration. In particular, to find out whether Europe need more migrants or less.

The question of whether Europe needs more migrants or less is a complex and debated topic. There are varying opinions and different perspectives. Some have argued on economic and social grounds while others have focused on the political factor underpinning the issue. Below, I look at both the positive and negative sides of immigration.

On the economic contributions of migration to Europe’s development, proponents have argued that immigrants contributed to European economy by filling labor gaps in certain sectors, such as healthcare, ICT, agriculture, and low-skilled jobs. Migrants, they argued, brought diverse skills, entrepreneurship, and innovation, leading to economic growth and increased productivity.

Another important argument that has surfaced relates to Europe’s aging population and demographic challenges. For some years now, Europe has been experiencing an aging population, with declining birth rates and a shrinking workforce. Migrants have helped in addressing these demographic challenges by replenishing the labor force and supporting social welfare systems, including pensions and healthcare, which rely on contributions from the working-age population.

In a CNN report shortly after former president Donald Trump announced his Executive Order banning immigration from some countries, including Nigeria, into the US, it was claimed that Nigerians were the most educated immigrant group in the United States and that they play important roles in America’s higher education, IT, medical, and other sectors. Above all, their contributions to US economy in the forms of taxes, health insurance, and pension was above 40 billion US Dollars annually.

Highly skilled Nigerians are not only found in the US but also across Europe, Australia and the Gulf states. Just as they are important players in US economy, so also, they are critical to the economies of different nations in Europe, Australia and the Gulf states. To roundly describe these immigrants as “not needing the certificates but looking for means to relocate” is a tad exaggerative and unrepresentative of the reality of immigration.

In a recent study on internal migration in Lagos, it was discovered that migration, even within nations, is a factor for cultural diversity and social enrichment. In other words, immigrants bring cultural diversity, which enriches societies, new ideas that transform the way we work and live. They also bring new perspectives and traditions that have enriched and reconfigured societies. The cities of Europe, Canada and the United States are today vibrant and multicultural, fostering tolerance, understanding, and social cohesion simply because of immigration.

In one of her speeches prior to leaving office, former chancellor, Angela Merkel told Germans in the clearest terms that underlying her calls for Germany and Europe to welcome migrants are issues relating to humanitarian needs. Conflicts, persecution, and humanitarian crises have driven many people to Europe in recent years. A few years ago, a university in the Netherlands provided a safe haven for a Cameroonian professor who was persecuted by the Cameroonian state. There are similar initiatives all across the developed world. So, Europe have seen significant migration flows driven by different factors, ranging from the need to provide for refuge and offering protection to those in one form of danger or human rights threatening situation, to students.

Just as we have those who are pro-migration across Europe, we also have those who argued against the phenomenon. In the main, those against migration have raised serious concerns over integration challenges. Cardinal to their arguments are the issues surrounding the assimilation of a large number of migrants into European societies, Canada and the United States. As argued, international migration poses a serious danger to integration. In the speech of Angela Merkel noted above, she emphasized the need for migrants to learn the languages of their hosts as a way to bridge the linguistic barriers and cultural differences that have been identified in different studies as underpinning anti-migration sentiments across the developed world.  It is believed that by doing this, social tensions that could lead to social fragmentation or conflicts could be taken care of before they arise.

Anti-migration exponents, as we saw in the United States during the electioneering campaign and the Trump years as well as in the United Kingdom during the Brexit debates, have argued that immigration was a strain on resources. In other words, a sudden influx of migrants can strain public services, including housing, healthcare, education, and welfare systems. Irrespective of which side of the divide one finds him or herself, this is a valid argument, as increase in population be it through increasing birthrate or immigration requires that state actors respond in ways that ensures parity in the provision of social amenities as population increases. So, adequate infrastructure and resources are necessary to ensure successful integration and avoid potential tensions. So, immigration comes with a cost and how many receiving societies are ready to cough out this cost?

Concern over security and terrorism is also a valid argument that many anti-migration exponents have put forward. Security concerns arise when screening processes for migrants are not robust, potentially allowing individuals with criminal intent or extremist ideologies to enter. 9/11 and the Underwear bomber from Nigeria are good examples in this regard. Besides the fact that those who carried out the 9/11 attacks had genuine and valid visas, how they were able to plan and execute such an egregious act in the United States baffles logic. How Mutalab was able to sneak a bomb aboard a Delta Airways plane heading for Detroit is a testimony to lax security protocol. The sheer fact that things have improved ever since is not a guarantee that similar things won’t happen again. So, ensuring strong border control and effective security measures is crucial.

Lastly, the issue of migration has become politically contentious in many American and European countries. Anti-immigration sentiments and concerns about the impact of migration on jobs and social cohesion have led to political polarization and the rise of far-right movements. Trump milked this sentiment to build a base for himself the GOP in the United States. Brexiters did similarly in Britain, and we have seen different iterations of this in different places other than the aforementioned.

Owing to the above, it is important to approach the discussions on migration with nuance, considering the specific context of each individual, including students, country or region in the Americas, Europe, and the Gulf States. While the United Kingdom owes it to itself and its people to fashion policies that protect its best interests, policies regarding migration should not be taken in a hurry or rushed. They must take into account not only the socio-economic and  humanitarian considerations on the host society, while striving for effectively care for immigrants.