Policy recommendations

  • To address the internal push factors for migration, the EU should provide adequate assistance to developing countries and achieve the target of 0.7% of GDP for development cooperation. It should help developing countries to devise effective strategies to retain highly skilled workers, e.g. through development programmes aimed at improving local employment opportunities and working conditions. This is especially necessary in the health sector.
  • The EU should provide targeted investments to train, deploy and retain staff in developing countries who are working in sensitive sectors such as education and health. The EU should also provide long-term budgetary support to underpin the domestic financing of those sectors.
  • The EU should ensure that all its member states sign a legally binding commitment that includes the private sector in order to prevent active recruitment in developing countries. Such a code of practice should address country- or region-specific needs. Furthermore, in order to ensure compliance, the EU should set up a formally constituted body with an oversight and watchdog role in the EU and developing countries.
  • To prevent a negative impact on source countries, the EU should introduce concrete measures to encourage the permanent return of Blue Card holders. Within the EU the portability of social rights should be facilitated. In developing countries, migrants should be offered benefits in order to encourage their return.
  • If the EU attracts workers whose education and training have been provided by their home countries, then these countries of origin should be appropriately compensated for having provided these skills. 
  • The EU should encourage its member states to strengthen their own (national) workforce policies in all sectors in order to become less dependent on foreign workers from less developed countries.

Case: Blue Card

11-01-2012 MEP Kaczmarek addresses medical brain drain

In a written question to the European Commission, MEP Filip Kaczmarek (EPP) addresses the exodus of medical staff from developing countries. Qualified doctors can earn more money in the EU and the US than in their own countries, which leads them to leave their own countries. Not only do developing countries lose two billion dollar a year which they invested in training these doctors, but also they lose out on the availability of already too little medical staff. The need for qualified doctors is extremely high, particularly in sub-Saharan countries, due to infectious diseases such as AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis.

With regard to this, MEP Kaczmarek asked the Commission whether it is intending to take steps to encourage doctors from developing countries to return to their countries of origin to fight the insufficiency of the healthcare provisions there. In the case study on the Blue Card
), Fair Politics addressed the issue of brain drain in general: the EU migration policy sought by means of the Blue Card to attract highly skilled migrants to Europe. Although this can be beneficial for both developing countries, in case of return of the highly skilled migrants who have been able to further develop their knowledge and skills, the danger of permanent migration and of brain drain is far from unrealistic. The EU recognizes development countries need for highly skilled workers and therefore and the Joint Africa-EU Declaration on Migration and Development emphasises the need to encourage skilled workers to stay in Africa. Trying to attract them into the EU is thus incoherent with the EUs development policy. Moreover, since the need for medical staff in developing countries is so high, employing them here seems unfair and unethical with regards to the people in developing countries.

Fair Politics wants to thank MEP Kaczmarek for posing this question. If the Commission would encourage doctors from developing countries to return to their own countries, the health care can become better and more sufficient. More people will have access to medical care, get a chance to recover from their disease and again will be able to work and earn some money. Also the medical staff can teach other people their profession and increase the knowledge in their country. All together, encouraging doctors to go back to their country of origin will contribute to the development and the eradication of poverty and hunger. For asking this question, MEP Filip Kaczmarek will be granted one point in our monitoring system for the Fair Politician of the Year.

Also read our case study on the Blue Card

Monitor fair: EPP


Parliamentary questions
15 December 2011 E-011939/2011

Question for written answer
to the Commission
Rule 117
Filip Kaczmarek (PPE)

Subject: Exodus of qualified medical staff from developing countries

The countries of sub-Saharan Africa that invest in training for doctors are losing two billion dollars a year because doctors are leaving as they can earn more in Europe and the US. The highest incidence of this has been reported in South Africa and Zimbabwe. The exodus of qualified doctors from developing countries to developed countries is worrying because not only does Africa have a dearth of medical staff: there are also infectious diseases such as AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis. According to the latest UN research, 68 % of people who are HIV positive live in African countries.
In this connection:
Is the Commission intending to take steps to encourage doctors from developing countries to return to their countries of origin, where there is insufficient healthcare provision?
Does the Commission have any figures showing how many doctors from developing countries are working in Europe?