Recruitment for overseas jobs: Is it brain drain or brain gain?

The Ministry of Labour has recently embarked on a nationwide recruitment drive targeting youth seeking jobs abroad. While some Kenyans celebrate these efforts, others are outraged, labelling the trend as a "brain drain."

They argue that the government should focus on creating sufficient job opportunities at home. This may not be possible given the prevailing economic conditions. So to better understand whether this phenomenon constitutes a "brain drain" or a "brain gain," it is worth examining historical and contemporary examples from other global economies.