But Dr Khanna, who has advised governments around the world on how to plan for the future, believes the UK can win the war for talent – if it plans ahead and secures the migrants it needs from the predicted four billion young people on the move over the next decades. For the UK, that would mean the population reaching 80 million by 2040 or sooner.
Dr Khanna says:
“The UK doesn’t need an army of soldiers to keep the country moving – it needs an army of skilled migrants who can fill the gaps in the UK workforce. The next world war will be a war for talent and the UK Government has lost the first major battle. But it can win the war IF it plans ahead NOW.
“By around 2035 we will reach “peak humanity,” when global population will plateau and start to decline. Nations will then be fully engaged in an all-out war for talent, recruiting young and able-bodied construction workers, farmers, students, entrepreneurs, caregivers, and generally any potential taxpayer, to stave off an economic decline driven by demographic deflation.
“It’s much better to get migrants now while they’re young and can assimilate and become loyal citizens — and before other nations make their move in the war for talent. As we’ve seen from the last two weeks, collecting people means collecting power.
“Immigration policy should be less about absolute numbers and more about sorting and matching. Why shut out highly skilled migrants only to face a shortage of doctors and nurses in the NHS — during a pandemic.”
