XIII. Education

The number of young people who study outside of their country of origin has grown rapidly over the past decades and has helped to foster greater knowledge production and exchange. However, the emigration of highly educated individuals can deprive countries of the skilled labour force needed for achieving the Goals and targets of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. When the skills and qualifications that migrants carry with them are not recognized, this can lead to “brain waste”. Facilitating the recognition of skills, qualifications and competences is critical to minimizing such waste. Many countries have explicit policies to attract migrant workers with high levels of human capital. Complying with ethical recruitment practices and actively investing in the development and training of skilled labour in countries of origin and destination can help ensure that the migration of highly educated individuals does not exacerbate inequality in access to human capital among countries. In host societies, children of migrant families can face economic, social,institutional, and other types of obstacles in accessing education, especially if they have an irregular immigration status. Addressing language and other barriers can improve migrant children’s educational outcomes and promote their integration into host societies.

Sustainable Development Goals:

No Poverty

Good Health and Well-Being

Quality Education