Vision 2050: Tanzania needs a comprehensive migration policy

A few weeks ago, I penned an article titled ‘Vision 2050: Unlocking Tanzania’s Billion-Dollar Migration Potential,’ which highlighted Tanzania’s immense potential in migration. Following that, I had the opportunity to discuss the article with a government official who is also an expert in migration matters. His insight was revealing – Tanzania doesn’t have a migration policy thus explaining its largely ad hoc approach to migration. I felt that I needed to revisit my article and expand some ideas for emphasis

Read: Vision 2050: Unlocking Tanzania's billion-dollar migration potential

Countries that have effectively utilised migration policy as a tool for economic development showcase the immense benefits it can offer. Canada’s Express Entry system, for example, prioritises individuals with education, work experience, and language proficiency, specifically targeting sectors like technology and healthcare where demand for talent is high. Similarly, the United States EB-5 Immigrant Investor Program draws significant capital into the economy by offering visas to those who invest substantially in job-creating ventures. Australia’s Global Talent Independent Program similarly attracts highly skilled individuals likely to become innovators and leaders in their fields. These programmes demonstrate how targeted immigration policies can inject expertise and financial resources into the economy, fostering growth and job creation.

Unfortunately, our approach to migration is reactive at best. For example, we lack a coherent strategy to manage the outflow of our people: on one side, we want to maximise remittances yet, on the other side, we don’t have any program that encourages people to venture to venture abroad so they can send those remittances back home. As a result, our remittances make up only 0.4 percent of GDP, compared to nations such as Senegal and Zimbabwe, where remittances account for 10 percent of GDP. This shortfall costs the Tanzanian economy billions of dollars in potential cash injections every year. The idea that what happens to migration is left to the whims of the government of the day, that is, when the government is progressive, the right things happen, and when it is regressive, the wrong things happen, is faulty.

Vision 2050: Tanzania needs a comprehensive migration policy

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