Only two days ago we fretted in this space about the many people in the biggest countries who are railing against immigration, even amidst shrinking native population and rising demand for labour.

It was therefore gratifying to hear that France, the seventh largest economy in the world, has launched a major campaign called ‘Choose France’ to attract investors and people of talent in the hope of propelling the country forward.

“With the France brand we invite investors and talent from around the world to come and create in this land of innovation that is France. We will be there to support them so that they can bring to fruition their ideas and dreams in entrepreneurship as well as their investment projects,” the Choose France campaign conceptualisers said.

Of course, before that, Canada has been consistently welcoming immigrants and of late has stepped up the numbers it is accepting.

The reason countries are opening their arms to immigrants, against the background of tough political battles with anti-immigration sections of their populations, is clear to all who are keeping up with the news.

Prior to the novel coronavirus pandemic, and since then, there has been a big fall-off in native populations in the more developed countries, and certainly since the pandemic there has been a noticeable drop in the number of people seeking work.

It was a shock to many to hear the Government of Jamaica contemplating allowing importation of labour in a country which has been marked by high unemployment for most of its existence since Independence.

We argued that anyone with a sense of geography knows that the planet can easily support the seven billion people currently estimated to exist on Earth. “The painful reality, though, is that the share of the world’s resources is so skewed in favour of a few big countries that squalor and poverty thrive in the great many poor countries.”

They also enrich host economies by bringing diverse skills, facilitating knowledge sharing and helping to reduce trade costs. The innovative skills that migrants possess and their ability to integrate into local business networks can significantly influence trade dynamics between countries and regions, the International Organisation for Migration says.

Of course, every country has a right to seek to boost its labour force, which is a must for economic survival, and we have no problem with them wanting talented people or those with resources to come and live with them. We hope Jamaica will be taking the same approach.

France clearly sees the potential problem from having lower birth rates and under-supply of labour. The glitzy campaign posters do not say so, but it does not take much to know what is going on.

The Choose France campaign is stressing that investing in France, or choosing French companies and products, means “promoting economic, technological and ecological development that benefits everyone”. The French economy seeks the right balance between competitiveness and sustainability.

“Experiencing France means choosing a system where culture and education stimulate the mind, where education integrates the challenges of today and those of tomorrow…” say the French.

If such an open-eyed approach to immigration becomes the norm we are bound to have a better world, with less suffering and misery.