ABSTRACT
The purpose of this chapter is to examine the contemporary migration debate in relation to the wider issue of who and what constitutes high-skilled migration. The chapter reviews policy and scholarly approaches toward high-skilled migration within three main strands of research literature: immigration policy analysis, research on the migration–development nexus and studies on integration/incorporation in receiving countries. Drawing on the interpretation of trends, this essay presents high-skilled migration as a necessary part of economic competitiveness, as self-help development from below and as a prototype of social mobility. In this sense, highly skilled migrants are portrayed as those who: (a) are economically useful and contribute to economic competitiveness; (b) benefit development outcomes in their countries of origin; and (c) are easily integrated in labor markets and societies at large. This chapter shows how policy and scholarly approaches toward highly skilled migrants determine who will be included in this privileged position. It exposes the not-so-clear-cut distinction between low- and high-skilled migration and furthers our understanding of the extent to which changing government priorities and ideologies impact international mobility by providing opportunities to move and stay for some, while erecting barriers for others.
