Jaishankar Urges West to Rethink Harsh Immigration Measures

In a pointed yet measured message to Western policymakers, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar warned on Wednesday that the United States and Europe may undercut their own strategic and economic interests if they continue tightening immigration rules that limit the movement of skilled professionals. Speaking at India’s World Annual Conclave 2025, he said the talent mobility debate must be viewed through the lens of mutual benefit, not political pressure.

Jaishankar emphasised that the free movement of skilled workers has been a cornerstone of global innovation and economic vitality. Restricting it, he argued, would inevitably backfire on countries that rely on international expertise to sustain cutting-edge industries. “The part which concerns us is to convince them that mobility, the use of talent across boundaries, is to our mutual benefit,” he noted. “They would be net losers if they actually erected too many roadblocks to the flow of talent.”

Jaishankar: Freedom to Move — A Pillar of Democracy

Touching on India’s own democratic ethos, Jaishankar underscored that the government cannot—and should not—control where individuals choose to work. “We can’t tell people not to go out to work. There’s a freedom of movement,” he said, adding that citizens will naturally seek better opportunities when they arise. The most effective solution, he stressed, lies in strengthening domestic prospects. “The common-sense thing is to create opportunities at home.”

According to him, retaining talent is not simply a matter of urging people to stay; it requires structural reforms. India must grow its skilled workforce while maintaining robust economic expansion. “Unless we are able to sustain high growth rates, we will not be able to find opportunities for their employment and retention,” he said.

Anti-Immigration Climate Rooted in Past Decisions

The minister put the current anti-immigration climate in the West into context, arguing that it is not a direct response to talent mobility but rather a consequence of past strategic choices. “If there are concerns in the United States or in Europe, it is because they very consciously and deliberately, over the last two decades, allowed their businesses to relocate,” he said. “It was their choice and strategy. They have to find ways of fixing it, and many of them are.”

His remarks come at a time when the US, under President Donald Trump, has tightened work visa norms while far-right rhetoric in parts of the European Union mirrors similar themes. In the US, critics of immigration—including hardline supporters of Trump—have pushed for restricting or even abolishing the H-1B programme. Similar sentiments echo in the UK and countries like Germany, where anti-immigrant narratives have fuelled electoral gains for the AfD.

Jaishankar: A Global Future Demands More Talent, Not Less

Jaishankar warned that the world is entering a phase where advanced manufacturing, technology, and innovation will require unprecedented levels of skilled talent. Western nations, he suggested, risk creating “structural impediments” by shutting out the very workers they may soon be desperate to attract.

“As we move into an era of advanced manufacturing, we will need more talent, not less, and talent cannot be developed organically at a high rate,” he said. The internal tensions visible in these societies, he added, reflect an underlying mismatch between political narratives and economic realities.