Jaishankar Warns US & Europe: Blocking Skilled Immigration Will Make Them “Net Losers”

Delhi: External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar has cautioned Western nations that restricting the movement of skilled professionals will ultimately damage their own economic interests. Speaking at the India’s World Annual Conclave 2025 in New Delhi, the minister said that growing anti-immigration sentiment in the US and Europe ignores the realities of globalised business and the rising demand for specialised talent.

Responding to questions about political pushback against immigration, Jaishankar said that much of the current crisis in Western economies stems not from incoming workers but from decades of strategic decisions allowing industries to relocate overseas.

“These countries knowingly shifted their production abroad over the past twenty years. That was a deliberate choice. Now they face the consequences and must address them,” he said.
He emphasised that India’s concern is to ensure Western policymakers understand the mutual benefits of talent mobility.

“The free flow of skilled workers benefits both sides. If they build barriers, they will be the net losers,” Jaishankar stressed.
The minister noted that as nations move rapidly toward advanced manufacturing, the requirement for highly skilled workers is only increasing. No society, he argued, can organically produce the volume of talent needed to sustain next-generation industries.

“Advanced manufacturing demands more expertise, not less. Talent cannot be generated overnight, and many societies are already experiencing structural tensions because of this gap,” he said.