About the session
"Knowledge Nomads: Why Science Needs Migration" is the final installment in Demos' Atlas of Ideas series. It argues that migration is important for both Britain and global science and innovation. Knowledge nomads are highly skilled and highly mobile people. Innovative economies need them, but Britain risks damaging its reputation for scientific excellence unless the government calms its anti-immigration tone, warns the report. Highly-skilled individuals and multinational companies could be deterred by anti-immigration rhetoric and the stricter visa controls recommended by the UK's Home Secretary. The report recommends that the government should put more effort into attracting these experts, as well as encouraging British scientists to travel abroad to develop their skills in foreign environments. Migration means brain gain, not brain drain.
