Theoretical Framework

There are several international migration theories and each of the theories tries to
explain migration and development nexus. The researchers do not expect a single theory to
have all the tools that would lead this study to answer its research questions and achieve its
general objective. Considering the objectives of the study which are to determine the factors of
brain drain or migration from India and Philippines, as well as the impacts of it to these
countries, and the existing policies they have to reduce the problem on brain drain, the
theoretical framework in this study integrates two international migration theories: the
Neoclassical theory of migration and the New Economics of Labor Migration theory.

The researchers’ interest in using these two theories lies on their contrasting nature of
assumptions. Neo-classical and the New Economic of Labor Migration approaches differ from
one another insofar as they posit contrasting sets of interpretations regarding return migration.
When neo-classical economists argue that people move permanently to raise and maximize
their wages in receiving countries, the new economy of migration contends that people move
on a temporary basis to achieve their goals or targets in receiving countries, as a prerequisite to
returning home, return migration is viewed as a success story in this theory than the
neoclassical (Porumbesco, 2015).

The oldest and best known theory of international migration which is the neoclassical
migration theory suggests that certain factors such as differences in wages and job
opportunities are responsible for the movement of migrants, whether within the nation state,
regional or international borders. According to the theory, push and pull factors influence the
direction of migration. The pull factor can be described as those favorable conditions in the
receiving countries like higher standard of living, higher salaries, good social welfare system,
the safety of the environment and less bureaucratic control. On the other hand, the push
factors can be described as those unfavourable conditions such as poor education system, less
job opportunities, low wages, and others instigate these people to migrate into other parts of
the world. Moreover, Bad government policies facilitate push factors. Likewise, pull factors can
be enabled by deliberate government policies (Kadiri, 2015).

The New Economic Labor Migration theory suggests that migration is something that is
never an individual decision, instead, it is often a collective decision which involves a
combination of a group of people, individual families or even communities. Hence, the focus
here is on the group of individuals who initiate migration. This theory tends to explain that
migrants not only migrate due to higher wages, but also as a way to diversify income sources
and provide resources for investment in existing activities or businesses back in their countries
of origin. Back home migrant remittances have been invested in the existing businesses such as
supermarket, family farm and to support their families to improve their standard of living.
Living in a country without any sort of welfare support is difficult. Hence, some of the money
migrants sent home for investment are often diverted to meet the basic needs of their family
back home (Wimalaratana, 2017).

Kadiri, K. (2015). Migration and brain drain: A case study of african students in southern
sweden.
http://lup.lub.lu.se/luur/download?func=downloadFile&recordOId=7860774&fileOId=7860789

Porumbesco, A. (2015). Defining the new economics of labor migration theory boundaries: A
sociological-level analysis of international migration. Retrieved from
https://cis01.central.ucv.ro/revistadestiintepolitice/files/numarul45_2015/6.%20Defining%20t
he%20New%20Economics%20of%20Labor%20Migration%20Theory%20Boundaries...%20pp.%2
055-64.pdf

Wimalaratana, W. (2017). International migration and migration theories. Retrieved from

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/312211237_INTERNATIONAL_MIGRATION_AND_MI
GRATION_THEORIES