For more than eight patient years, Doris Ho, one of the Philippines’ most respected members of the Apec Business Advisory Council, worked tirelessly to eliminate barriers to the movement of working people around our Apec region. Her legacy was captured in the idea of “Earn, Learn, Return”. The idea was radical, and fundamentally at odds with existing Western ideas about international labour mobility. It was radical because it had absolutely nothing to do with the politically toxic problems in many countries linked with migration.
Existing labour mobility policies were built around the idea of a government recognising that it had labour or skills shortages that could not be met from within its own economy. In response, “points” systems were created that offered people with the right skills the chance to immigrate, become full citizens and settle permanently. But locals have often risen up in opposition, making the “immigration” issue the toxic one it is today, not just across Europe or Donald Trump’s United States, but in Canada, Australia and other rich economies around the world.
Existing labour mobility policies were built around the idea of a government recognising that it had labour or skills shortages that could not be met from within its own economy. In response, “points” systems were created that offered people with the right skills the chance to immigrate, become full citizens and settle permanently. But locals have often risen up in opposition, making the “immigration” issue the toxic one it is today, not just across Europe or Donald Trump’s United States, but in Canada, Australia and other rich economies around the world.
