“Belarusians who have left the country are a godsend for the countries they’ve ended up in”

Moving to another country is always daunting. A different culture, a different language, different customs. Even if you have a job offer in hand, an apartment rented, and all your paperwork in order, there are still a thousand unknowns. And if things aren’t going so well with work and money—well, I won’t even get into that.

And many migrants fear that, given all the stress, their health might also take a turn for the worse—God forbid. And then, on top of everything else, they’d have to figure out the healthcare system and pay medical bills. That would be completely out of place.

But scientific studies suggest otherwise.

It turns out that, immigrants On average, first-generation immigrants outperform local residents on a number of indicators¹. Despite the challenges of integrating into a new society, the lack of information about how things work, and sometimes limited access to education and health care, they manage better in virtually every aspect of life. They perform better in school, earn more, break the law less often, and, oddly enough, are healthier.

According to statistics¹ Visitors really do hardly ever get sick. They have a lower risk of heart attacks and strokes, are less likely to suffer from depression or obesity, and drink less alcohol and use fewer drugs.

U immigrants Even babies are born with fewer complications during childbirth and are healthier¹. 

Moreover, this trend is consistent across very different countries and does not depend on the nationality or race of the newcomers.

Scientists have been unable to find a definitive explanation for this phenomenon.

Some people believe that immigrants appreciate their new country more than its residents do. It’s as if they feel grateful for being accepted. And, they say, these feelings have a positive effect on both their behavior and their physical condition.

Some people attribute this success to pride in their ethnic group or nation. It’s as if people strive for success out of a sense of self-worth—to show that they, too, are capable and not to be taken lightly.

Others believe that natural selection is at work. It’s simply that the people who decide to move are, by nature, stronger, more resourceful, and more self-confident.

I think all three are true.

For example, those who have left Belarus A population of somewhere between 300,000 and 500,000—that’s a godsend for the countries they’ve ended up in.

For the most part, these are educated and successful people who arrive with an established career or business experience.

IT specialists, doctors, engineers, economists, architects, and others. It takes the government decades and hundreds of thousands of euros in investment per person—in kindergartens, clinics, schools, universities, and so on—to train such specialists.

But here, people arrive ready to contribute and pay taxes right away.

Belarusians, as a nation, we have been shaped by our harsh country. We are law-abiding, conscientious, and willing to follow all rules and regulations.

Meanwhile, Belarusian businesspeople, who have been hardened by the challenging conditions in their home country, are able to get off to a smooth and effortless start in more stable countries, launching new projects and creating jobs.

Of course, populists might grumble. There’s a lot of Russian being spoken on the streets now, real estate prices have gone up, and they’re seeing KGB agents everywhere.

But that's how democratic societies work. Anyone can speak their mind.

I think smart people realize how lucky they are to live next to a country that doesn't value its own citizens.

Not only are we awesome, but we also never get sick.

¹ Sources:
“Does an Immigrant Health Paradox Exist Among Asian Americans? Associations of Place of Birth and Occupational Class with Self-Rated Health and Mental Disorders.” Social Science & Medicine. 75 (12): 2085–2098
Antecol, Heather; Bedard, Kelly (2006). “Unhealthy Assimilation: Why Do Immigrants Converge on American Health Status Levels?”. *Demography*. 43 (2): 337–360.
“Substance Use Disorders Among First- and Second-Generation Immigrant Adults in the United States: Evidence of an Immigrant Paradox?” Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs. 75 (6): 958–967.
“Criminal Epidemiology and the Immigrant Paradox: Intergenerational Discontinuity in Violence and Antisocial Behavior Among Immigrants.” *Journal of Criminal Justice*, 42 (6): 483–490.