By Kavita Mistry 
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar warned on Wednesday that the United States and Europe could end up net losers if they continue tightening immigration rules that restrict the movement of skilled workers.
Speaking at India’s World Annual Conclave 2025 in New Delhi, Jaishankar said Western nations risk harming their own economic competitiveness by erecting too many roadblocks to global talent.
Jaishankar said the current political backlash against immigration in several countries often misses the real causes of economic anxiety. “The actual crisis has nothing to do with the mobility of the incoming workforce,” he said, arguing that many problems stem from long-term policy choices made by those same countries.
He said skilled professionals will naturally seek better opportunities abroad and that democracies should not expect people to stay put if stronger prospects emerge elsewhere. “We can’t tell people not to go out to work. There’s a freedom of movement,” he said.
Jaishankar urged Western governments to recognise the mutual economic benefits of mobility. “They would be net losers if they actually erected too many roadblocks to the flow of talent,” he said.
With industries shifting toward advanced manufacturing, Jaishankar added, demand for specialised workers will only grow — and domestic labour pools alone will not be able to meet that need.
The External Affairs minister acknowledged political pressures in the US and Europe but expressed confidence that countries will ultimately strike a balance between those concerns and economic reality. “They will probably reach some modest modus vivendi,” he said.
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