• An exploration on how migration and brain-drain affects young people

One of the most powerful things about Sri Lanka is that it is filled with talent and expertise. Young people often dream about being leaders in their chosen professions at a young age. However, a challenging economy and dreams of a better future have often led to several people leaving or planning to leave the country. 

While this has always been the case to an extent, the turbulence of the last five years has seen more and more young professionals leave our shores in search of greener pastures leading to a significant ‘brain-drain’, especially in skilled industries. 

“I’m blessed to have a good job, but I’ve always dreamt of a better life abroad,” 24-year-old engineer Rahal Rodrigo told The Daily Morning Brunch. “In fact, several of my friends have good lives abroad after going to other countries for higher studies.”

The need for a stable future

While the breathtaking beauty and cultural wonders of Sri Lanka are unmatched, economic and social hardships often make migration a dream for many.  “My life wasn’t going anywhere, and staying in Sri Lanka was clearly not going to get me where I wanted to be in life,” 29-year-old conveyancer Hilary Nonis said. “So, I started planning for a better life that would give me better opportunities and I settled on Dubai.” Nonis explained that while he still cherishes his family in Sri Lanka, staying in Dubai has given him new experiences that he is thankful for.

“I now have a career that I enjoy and I’m really passionate about whereas in Sri Lanka I felt like I was slaving away,” he said. “I’m also surrounded by better facilities and even though it was a rough start at first, things eventually got better.”

Like many young people, Nonis said that he did not regret his decision to leave Sri Lanka and start a new life. 

Many Sri Lankans hope to leave the country following the economic crisis in 2022 and the aftereffects. Others state that despite giving it their all, Sri Lanka does not guarantee them a livable wage. 

“For many journalists, living in Sri Lanka is close to impossible unless you have a second job,” 26-year-old Amaya Jayasinghe* said. “We have fewer industry protections in comparison to other countries, and many of us are severely underpaid while also being forced to take on other administrative jobs that do not fall within our job description.”

Jayasinghe said that due to the poor work conditions in several of Sri Lanka’s industries, many of her friends have already migrated. 

The challenges of staying local

Reports suggest that many skilled professionals, including university professionals and doctors, have migrated, leaving the country with a severe lack of skilled professionals. 

“One major reason for the migration of medical practitioners is the amount of gatekeeping we face in Sri Lanka,” 24-year-old medical student Amir Ashraff said. “Unless we get into a medical faculty or medical school, we cannot practice in this country and getting into a medical faculty is impossible if you don’t follow the local curriculum, so therefore my friends and I had to study abroad.”

Ashraff said that while he could return to practice in Sri Lanka after doing certain exams, he said that the amount of hostility and challenges that foreign university graduates face in the medical field makes it highly unappealing. “It’s funny that we are more welcome in other countries than in our own,” he said. 

Several other young professionals also spoke about the stresses of gatekeeping that they felt. “As a journalist, I have noticed that we often do not get the promotions or pay rises that we deserve despite hours of hard work and work on public holidays,” Jayasinghe said. “One reason is probably because editors do not want to give up their positions for younger workers or they reserve positions for their friends and relatives.”

Jayasinghe also said that Sri Lankan corporate culture has contributed to many workers dreaming of leaving for a better life. “When I was applying for a job, I was asked what school I was from, whether I was married and whether I had any restrictions from my home,” she said. “One of the directors even asked about my relationship status, claiming he did not want to recruit women who are likely to get married soon.”

From a cultural perspective too, young people often consider moving overseas to have more independence and freedom from the patriarchal and often restrictive culture in Sri Lanka “With the economy in Sri Lanka, many young people cannot afford to rent or buy a house or apartment which leads most of them to live with their parents,” she said. “And this has had a negative impact on a lot of young people’s mental health as parents often continue to restrict the freedom of their children, especially their daughters, long after they turn eighteen and start working.”

A lack of adequate pay was also a factor that a lot of young people considered when making the decision to leave Sri Lanka. “When I asked for an increment, I was only given a fraction of what I would get at an international level,” IT professional Ayod Attanayake, said. “It wasn’t enough, and I definitely felt underpaid for the work that I do. So, I decided to leave Sri Lanka and start over in the United States and I’m doing well now.”

The flip side

While many young people often dream of a better future for themselves and go abroad, several others prefer to stay in Sri Lanka due to family ties and love for their nation.

“Sri Lanka is my country so why should I leave it,” 20-year-old student Savin Gunawardena said. “I’m not going to lie, the country has its challenges. There are several economic and political setbacks that make leaving an attractive alternative but I firmly believe that if we can come together and rebuild a better future in our country, it would be amazing.”

Gunawardena said that he has seen several of his friends leave the country and feels sorry for them as Sri Lanka is a beautiful place to live. 

“I think if we rebuild our infrastructure and ensure that young people have good opportunities to grow and develop, most people would love to stay in Sri Lanka,” he said. “However, doing so requires a lot of work.”

(Some names have been changed where requested)