SOLOMON Islands is classified as a low mobility nation in the region due to its distinct lack of outward migrations, according to Pacific Mobility Report launched recently.
The three Melanesian countries of Solomon Islands, Papua New Guinea, and Vanuatu have among the lowest rates of outward migration in the world due to severely restricted external labour market access.
They are the “low mobility countries”, the report stated.
It further describes that there is an unequal distribution of the number of immigrants from nation groupings and that enhancing the low mobility nations was of pivotal interest.
“The total number of Pacific-born migrants living in OECD countries is now 420,000.
“Most of these (79 per cent) come from high-mobility countries (Fiji, Samoa and Tonga), 15 per cent from open access countries (FSM, Marshall Islands and Palau), 5 per cent from low-mobility countries (PNG, Solomon Islands, Vanuatu) and hardly any (1 per cent) from atoll countries (Kiribati and Tuvalu),” the report said.
“Expanding opportunities for the low-mobility and atoll countries is a particular focus of the report.
“The stock of Pacific migrants is growing, but is unevenly distributed.
The report proposed reforms to enhance the mobility of Solomon Islands and other nations in the low mobility grouping to increase their number of outward immigration.
