S Jaishankar Says Legal Mobility Promotes Growth, Illegal Movement Fuels Crime
EAM stresses the importance of formal worker mobility for economic benefits while warning that illegal movement empowers trafficking and separatist networks.
New Delhi, Dec 03 : External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar on Wednesday highlighted the critical role of workforce mobility in the global economy, stressing that legal pathways generate wide-ranging benefits, while illegal movement fuels criminal and political agendas.
Speaking at India’s World Annual Conclave 2025, Jaishankar noted that discussions on globalisation often focus on trade, but the movement of workers is equally important.
“When mobility is legal and formal, it has a whole lot of beneficial impacts… But when it is not, it is actually almost a magnet for all kinds of bad business,” he said.
The minister warned that illegal mobility encourages trafficking networks and attracts groups with political or separatist motives.
“Look at trafficking and all the associated crimes; it leads people with agendas of various kinds, political agendas, separatist agendas, and they all join up to the illegal mobility side of it,” he said.
Three factors driving global workforce mobility
Dr Jaishankar identified the key forces behind rising workforce mobility:
Demography: Labour demand exceeding domestic supply.
Competitiveness and talent: Countries attracting the skills they need.
Social attitudes towards work: Domestic workers avoiding certain jobs due to pay or conditions.
“The fact is, today, mobility is an increasingly important factor in the international economy,” he added.
Government responsibilities in facilitating mobility
The EAM outlined three priorities for governments to support workforce mobility:
Enable mobility by improving skills and providing facilities for workers going abroad.
Create formal arrangements between governments, companies, and enterprises.
Equip workers with confidence and assurance to operate safely and efficiently in global workplaces.
“It begins with creating a global workforce, preparing it at home, and then ensuring that when the workforce is deployed, it is done so as efficiently and securely as possible,” Jaishankar said.
