Getting Lost – Migration and the (d)evaluation of human capital

In the latest decades, migration became increasingly important and appears to be one of the major indicators for change in contemporary societies, both in the origin contexts of the immigrant populations and the receiving countries. The intensity of massive migratory flows is growing, as people more and more decide to leave their home country every year. Their experiences - professional and non-professional, those that preceded the decision to migrate and those that are made along the trajectory - and their competences migrate with them and constitute their socio-emotional and specialised luggage. This wealthy skill set is often not easy to be translated and used in the host context, in fact, in most cases, exactly the opposite seems to happen. Yet, as widely established and confirmed, the recognition, valorisation and thus further development of human capital is central to stimulate economic growth and social development of any country. Other than that, numerous studies refer to a mismatch between talent in- and outflow, resulting in net loss of knowledge in the country of origin when speaking of the brain drain phenomenon. In recent debates, diverse scholars point to a change of perspective towards possibilities for brain gain, where migration is envisaged as an opportunity instead of a thread or “zero-sum game”. This perspective suggests a further paradigm change that moves from traditional brain drain and gain perspectives towards concepts that focus on brain keeping. In a debate that tackles fundamental issues of our society, this work intends to focus on the observable correlation between migration and human capital valorisation: what agency has spatial mobility on the recognition of competences? Or in other words: do we move and improve? Can the individual “on the move” consider mobility a condition for the access to enhanced professional opportunities? What are the professional fields and external circumstances that foster a mobility, both spatial and social? And which differences can we observe between persons with different migratory backgrounds and competences? In line with other research, the study design intends to research migration with interdisciplinary approaches, using comparative analysis with paradigmatic plurality, in order to capture the significant complexity of the migration experience. In this sense, new or mixed forms of mobility, where migrants can switch categories according to convenience from skilled to non-skilled, pushed by economic reasons, or lifestyle, or being mobile for study purposes call for a consideration of the “double embeddedness” of migration. On this purpose, a multiple empirical study in Turin and its metropolitan area, one of Italy’s principal industrial centres with a long migration history has been put into practice. Three target groups are in the centre of this research project to draw a picture on processes of competence (de)valuation in the context of migration. Firstly, “gained brains”, i.e. incoming first generation skilled and highly skilled migrants or those who received their status as high-qualified worker in the host country. The sample group has been composed of Romanian and German highly skilled migrants to carve out which impact has nationality in general and socio-cultural and ethnic capital in particular for the construction of professional trajectories and corresponding dynamics for (de)valuation of competences. Secondly, “residing brains” and thus potential movers, i.e. immigrant children who built their educational capital in the country of destination of their parents. A sample group of “second generations” with different origins has been constituted to investigate on their propensity to build their (professional) future elsewhere, in order to describe the considerations that guide corresponding choices and to understand how future aspirations of this target group are shaped by the context in which they live. Thirdly, “drained brains”, i.e. outgoing Italians who were educated in their home country. A central aspect that has been studied regard the determinants for their decision-making process to leave their home country and those that foster their potential return as well as the expected and experienced socio-professional upgrading in the host country. A comparison between these three groups entails an in-depth reflection on the interrelation existing between migrations and human capital valorisation, in particular by putting a lens on the observable differences between individuals with diverse origins and legal status. The intersection of these observations will allow to formulate policy recommendations on issues linked to the brain drain concept and options for increasing brain keeping.