Is Curaçao importing poverty with the Venezuelans?

Attracting investors to any economy is always desirable. However, for the result of what these people invest to be sustainable, a certain “critical mass” of consumers is required. A market. The population of Curaçao, as has been said many times, should be at least twice the current one to reach that level of self-support. The island needs not only investors, it also needs a buyer's market.

But what characteristics should people have that could help us increase our population?

While it is true that when we want to attract tourists, it is desirable to attract people who are willing to spend money, when we seek to generate an internal market, what we should look for is people with work capacity. Many workers and, if possible, also entrepreneurs. People who contribute a lot with their taxes and consume relatively few social services.

The mental image that appears when it is said in Curaçao "we should not import poverty" is that of refugee camps with families that have to be fed and costly epidemics that must be fought. That is far from resembling the profile of Venezuelans who have come to Curaçao in recent years.

Given the circumstances, perhaps any Venezuelan migrant could be considered "poor" when leaving his country at this time. Remember that poverty is a temporary state, not a permanent condition. However, training, the need to produce money and especially the average age of these migrants, makes them a very valuable capital for any country that aspires to strengthen its productivity.

In fact, Venezuelan emigration in recent years has gone through two phases. In the first stage, people with the highest purchasing power began to migrate seeking to preserve their assets. So did the most qualified professionals as doctors and people linked to the oil industry. From that first wave, little was taken advantage of in Curaçao, even if the proximity to Venezuela had made this island a very interesting place for many of these elite investors and professionals.

In the last four years the profile of migrants has changed. Inflation and lack of opportunities has caused an exodus mainly of young workers and newly graduated professionals. Many of them face the challenge of contributing remittances for the sustenance of their families within Venezuela.

In short, attracting capital and increasing the working population on the island are two of our fundamental challenges. The migration of local youth to other latitudes to study and the low reproduction rate on the island aggravate the problem. Take the opportunity to receive, even temporarily, a group of workers who have circumstantially reached Curaçao does not seem to be detrimental in economic terms. It does not constitute importation of poverty.




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