The International Migrants Day celebrated by the UN today makes us reflect on the importance of migration in the world we live in. In part, the way in which migration has been treated in public opinion, and how this has shaped our attitudes and stereotypes towards migrants, is closely linked to the diary that international agencies and Western governments have developed in recent decades. Echoing some of the ideas of Stephen Castles, one of the world's leading experts on migration and a professor at Oxford, it seems as if international agencies have changed the diary on international migration in recent decades in the interests of more developed countries but justifying these changes for the sake of poorer countries. His argument appears more clearly detailed in article "Development and Migration: What comes first?" where he compares the relationship between political and academic diary .

Without leaving aside these reflections that help to maintain a certain distance and to reinforce critical capacity in the face of what is fashionable, the truth is that the study of migration has evolved in recent years. Simplifying the process, in the first phase, the study of migration has focused on the effects on the countries of destination, both from the economic and partner-cultural points of view. In a second phase, a greater sensitivity to the effects of migration on the countries of origin appeared. Talent drain and remittances appear as two sides of the same coin. We are now in a third phase, which is characterized by the search for ways to make migration beneficial for all, including the countries of origin, destination and, for the first time, the migrants themselves.

Thinking in these terms is completely new and groundbreaking. At last we no longer speak of migrants as mere "labor" or "human capital" that moves and produces effects here and there. It is now recognized that migrants are not merely numbers but human beings who also have something to say about the effect of migration on their own lives. From this perspective the UN University Secretary recently expressed that "migration is an expression of human aspiration for dignity, security and a better future".

This new context should be taken into account by our politicians and governments when interpreting the migrations affecting Spain. In relation to the recent departure of young Spaniards to other countries mainly due to the economic crisis, we must think that emigrating is certainly the expression of human aspiration for dignity, security and a better future. Although there are adventurous young people who travel because they want to see the world and live new experiences, I agree with agreement that there are many more who leave Spain with great regret because the present and future political and economic reality does not give room for hope.

I also disagree with agreement with those who use demagogy to criticize the government by saying that the best generation of Spaniards (more educated and trained) that there has ever been is escaping. Based on my own experience staff in the UK, I believe that having a great academic training does not make us better than other generations of Spaniards. However, I do believe that the experience of emigrating and our own personal experiences linked to the economic crisis are making our generation acquire the necessary qualities for the great change that Spain needs.

These qualities are a mix of academic and professional training together with the values and social skills acquired in multicultural and meritocratic contexts typical of other European countries such as Germany or the United Kingdom.

In this sense, one aspect of migration that is seen as positive for home country is the return of its emigrants. Economically, the arguments supporting this hypothesis are linked to the acquisition of knowledge abroad that can later be applied to the national productive system. Socially and culturally, the acquisition of civic assets can also have a positive impact on home country. An example is the associationism or greater democratic participation that returnees may show, together with greater tolerance learned in multicultural contexts.

For this reason, I think that in the best case scenario, the emigration of young Spaniards abroad is something that in the long run will bring enormous benefits for Spain as many of them will want to return and will fight to regenerate the country's politics and Economics . In the worst case scenario, if they do not return because Spain remains in a state of decadence, we should at least be able to recognize that these young people had the opportunity to emigrate, to choose, to decide on their future. Just the fact of having that possibility is something really positive in terms of freedoms and development. It is also to be hoped that the voluntary experience of emigrating has been an enriching experience in the lives of these people, despite the difficulties and suffering they have had to face.