Shaping de Facto Brain Drain A qualitative Enquiry of Push and Pull Factors of Emigration among Algerian Physicians Working Abroad

Abstract

The aim of this research was to understand the different push and pull factors of physicians’ emigration from Algeria and how they perceived and experienced these factors. A qualitative analysis was conducted with actual emigrants to different countries. The findings were analyzed using a content analysis. A total of eight generalists medical-surgical and medical agreed to take part in this study. The participants were emigrants to the USA, the UK, France, Germany, Canada and the Middle East. Almost all participants agreed that the main drivers of emigration are: working conditions, personal motives and socio-economic factors for both the source and receiving country. Most participants perceive push factors as a source of fear and consider them as imprisonment that poses increased pressure, while pull factors are perceived as an alternative to emancipating from constraint in home country. The push and pull framework is significant in understanding different factors of emigration. Policy-makers need to make efforts to bridge the lacuna between donor and host countries and to reverse these losses into brain gain through in-depth reforms.