Issues

Alexandre Vidal Porto: Brazil’s consul-general in Amsterdam championing dignity for the diaspora

Diplomats should neither affirm nor dispel stereotypes, but they do have to embody their nation. In this respect, Alexandre Vidal Porto is a fitting emissary for Brazil. The country’s consul-general in Amsterdam is a career diplomat and an acclaimed novelist – trust Brazil to send a poet to deal with passport renewals. He is also a tireless servant of his compatriots abroad. “I love to think that I may make a difference in the life of my people,” he tells Monocle at his Amsterdam apartment.

The Brazilian consulate, 10 minutes’ walk from Vidal Porto’s home, is not a chandeliered space. In the World Trade Center in Amsterdam-Zuid, away from the city’s canals and 17th-century townhouses, it is a place for the Dutch capital’s burgeoning Brazilian population to solve their bureaucratic problems. The Brazilian diaspora has grown rapidly here in recent years, fuelled in part by post-Brexit displacement from the UK. An estimated 80,000 now live in the Netherlands, with a significant proportion of them thought to be working in informal employment, such as domestic or sex work. Beyond the stamps and forms necessary for expatriate life, the consul-general understands that diplomacy is a human endeavour. “I want the dignity of my fellow nationals to remain intact,” he says. In the corner of the consulate’s reception is a children’s play area that was added to the space by Vidal Porto.

Consul-general is an interesting diplomatic role – its holder has less of a profile than an ambassador but they are also freed from the ceremonial decorum required of a head of mission. This means they can push harder to get things done. Before arriving in the Netherlands, Vidal Porto served as consul-general in Frankfurt, where he helped secure the release of two Brazilian women wrongly imprisoned on drug charges. When President Lula returned to power in 2023, Vidal Porto was dispatched to Amsterdam. The practical reason for the posting was unglamorous: it meant that Vidal Porto’s dog could travel between missions by car. But the motivation ran deep.

Many Brazilians in Amsterdam live in precarious conditions, and it is these people whom Vidal Porto is most keen to help. Everyone who walks through the consulate doors is met with patience. “Diplomacy should move towards the human,” the consul explains. He spends his days assisting those in domestic-violence cases, custody disputes and wrongful arrests, speaking with Dutch authorities about, for example, the difference between Portuguese and Brazilian Portuguese. Literature and diplomacy, for him, share the same impulse – both focus on the individual. “These are my people,” he says. “They didn’t find space to fully bloom where they were born but they will now.”

Spotlight on Admiral Samuel J Paparo, the man who could call the shots in any future US-China conflict

If the defining contest of the 21st century is to be that between the US and China, then we would do well to learn the names of those who will be calling the shots. Since 2024, Admiral Samuel J Paparo has been the head of US Indo-Pacific Command – about 380,000 US personnel stationed in 38 countries. He is the most senior US officer charged with overseeing any future clash with China.

These are challenging times to be wearing four stars in the American military. Since Donald Trump returned to presidential office last January, the commander-in-chief has ordered US forces to take action in Nigeria, Venezuela, Iran, Yemen, Syria, Iraq and Somalia – and has been making vague threats towards Colombia, Cuba, Denmark, Mexico and Panama.

Given these whiplash-inducing scenarios, Paparo occupies one of the most important of all posts. As a shrewd officer, he understands that any US-China conflict won’t only be a physical war. At the Honolulu Defense Forum in January, Paparo noted that information and cyber operations have become “a salient form of warfare”. He believes that militaries have to accept the idea that information operations must be integral to everything they do, rather than a simple afterthought.

Paparo ascended through the navy ranks, which helps in his efforts to convince the old guard about new methods. He was a naval aviator, graduating from the US Navy’s strike fighter tactics instructor programme. He has flown F-14s, F-15s and F/A-18s, and made 1,100 carrier landings. He has also undertaken less lofty missions, including leading a provincial reconstruction team in Afghanistan.

More recently, he has served as commander of the US Fifth Fleet, which generally conducts the US Navy’s operations in the Middle East, and of the US Pacific Fleet. Admiral Paparo wouldn’t be the one deciding whether the US rode to the defence of Taiwan or engaged in combat with China for any other reason. But he would get a big say in how any war that followed was fought.

Why Montenegro is the small but mighty future of the European Union

What are the chances of Montenegro becoming the first new EU member state since 2013? With an official population of about 630,000, it wouldn’t be Europe’s tiniest – though it would be smaller than every other nation except Malta. Nonetheless, senior EU figures are keen to complete accession talks by the end of this year. “If we finish in 2026 with the technical part of the negotiations, then in 2028 we could get the 28th member of the EU,” the European commissioner for enlargement, Marta Kos, told the Bled Strategic Forum last September.

This is in keeping with prime minister Milojko Spajic’s vision of his country as one “that makes the EU richer”. The usual concern of existing EU member states is that expansion to the less economically developed nations east of the continent might affect the fortunes of those already in the bloc. But in this analysis, Montenegro’s size works in its favour. What the EU would be gaining, after all, is a rare example of an ethnically diverse country that boasts harmonious internal relations. The largest part of the population identifies as Montenegrin – but they are collectively outnumbered by a combination of Serbs, Bosniaks and other ethnic groups. Before Spajic and his centrist Europe Now! party took power in 2023, the prime minister was Dritan Abazovic, an ethnic Albanian.

The economy, meanwhile, grew by more than 3 per cent over the past two years, while the country’s main port, Bar, is also vital for Montenegro’s landlocked neighbours, particularly Serbia – and the railway line to Belgrade is one of the world’s most spectacular. The vertiginous Mala Rijeka viaduct across the Moraca river canyon is Europe’s highest railway bridge, showcasing the austere charms of the mountainous landscape.

Natural beauty is the country’s greatest asset, with the peaks continuing all the way to the coast, where the Adriatic glitters and tourism is big business – accounting for more than a quarter of total GDP. Locals like to boast that they can ski in the morning and take a dip in the sea after lunch. Alternatively, you can enjoy the catch of the day at the Adriatic’s longest beach, the appropriately named Velika Plaza (“long beach”).

Financial opportunities abound – especially with the government set to introduce visa restrictions for Russians, who have previously been the country’s largest investors. As they sell up, buyers from Turkey, the US and the UAE are moving in.

Beyond property and tourism, low taxes, a well-educated workforce and potential for sustainable energy are considerable attractions. And after work, it’s time to tango. The mountain town of Kolasin switches from skiing to Latin dance in the summer, with its long-running tango camp. For those with two left feet, a thriving contemporary art scene – boosted considerably by Russian exiles – offers a different kind of culture. Or there’s viniculture: vranac is Montenegro’s indigenous grape and, when produced by Plantaze at Europe’s largest single vineyard, Cemovsko Polje, makes for a bold glass of red. When Montenegro’s EU membership is confirmed, expect it to flow freely.

Groupe d’études géopolitiques: The chic Parisian think tank championing Europe

Groupe d’études géopolitiques (GEG) is one of those French phrases that don’t translate well into English. The Parisian think tank, founded in 2017 by three students from École normale supérieure (ENS), the grandest of France’s grand école universities, is much more than the “geopolitical studies group” of its name. In fact, it might just be the world’s coolest think tank – admittedly not the most crowded of fields.

To be fair, GEG’s name is an accurate description of the think tank’s birth. Its three founders – Gilles Gressani, Mathéo Malik and Pierre Ramond – who were at various stages of their degrees at ENS, began to organise debates devoted to geopolitics at the university. In 2019, Ramona Bloj joined the gang, who launched a complementary journal, Le Grand Continent, devoted to European politics. At a time when right-wing think tanks seem to be in the ascendant, what distinguishes GEG is its avowedly internationalist, pro-European and pro-EU outlook.

As French politics veers ever rightwards and the European project seems in decline, think tanks such as GEG could offer hope for intellectual renewal. It publishes three semi-annual journals, each in its own natty colourway: a red one devoted to law, green to the environment and blue to European elections. Contributors have included Emmanuel Macron, Kaja Kallas and Josep Borrell. This year, GEG launched a series of books, La Bibliothèque de géopolitique, with Gallimard, a publishing house almost synonymous with Gallic intellectual chic.
geopolitique.eu

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How Nokia is reinventing itself for the era of 6G and AI

There was a time when Nokia was synonymous with mobile phones that could withstand just about anything. In its heyday, the company ranked above the likes of McDonald’s and Google as the world’s fifth-most valuable brand and it controlled more than 40 per cent of the global mobile-phone market. Then came smartphones. The qualities that had made Nokia so successful – sturdiness, dependability – were no longer seen as key selling points. In 2013 the company hung up its mobile-phone arm, selling it to Microsoft. Many assumed that the brand would simply disappear, swept aside by flashier, shinier alternatives.

But a look around the city of Oulu in northern Finland tells another story. The business is making a comeback. Last September, Nokia opened a 55,000 sq m campus in Oulu. The goal? To cement Nokia’s pivot to communication networks, researching, developing and manufacturing wireless 5G and 6G networks.

When Monocle visits, the factory floor hums with activity as autonomous robots shuttle components along the assembly line. Production specialists and engineers are working at full capacity, driven by demand from the artificial intelligence boom. “This is where we prepare for the next decade,” says Jarkko Pyykkönen, Nokia Oulu’s head. “The AI supercycle will be powered by 6G, connecting not just people but billions of intelligent machines.”

Most of Nokia’s main competitors are now Chinese. Its factory also c0-operates with the nearby Nato test centre on developing defence-grade 6G communications technology. The partnership underscores a strategic reality: the stability of Europe’s digital backbone increasingly depends on trusted network suppliers. Given Nokia’s expertise in secure radio technology – from tactical 5G “bubbles” for battlefield use to encrypted industrial networks – the company is at the heart of those conversations.

Results from 2025 were positive, with overall sales revenue at €19.9bn and year-on-year growth at 3 per cent. US chipmaker Nvidia, the world’s most valuable company, agreed a $1bn (€850m) equity investment in the Finnish firm late last year. Expectations for 2026 are high as Nokia holds thousands of 5G patents and is involved in shaping the protocols that will define future 6G networks.

Though Nokia’s days as a globally renowned phone brand are over, its next chapter could prove even more essential to the world by keeping connections secure and stable. It is, once again, a company to watch.

Why Casa Santa Luzia is São Paulo’s most beloved supermarket

We’ve all experienced the displeasure of navigating crowded aisles and wasting time trying to figure out the logic of ill-considered shop layouts – only to be forced to wait in long checkout lines. Good supermarkets can be hard to find. But they do exist: São Paulo’s Casa Santa Luzia, which celebrates its centenary this year, provides ample options and isn’t overlit. You’ll find it in the city’s chic Jardins district, where high-end shops and exclusive restaurants dot the elegant, treelined streets.

Locals pop in to buy a good bottle of wine, get their cold cuts sliced just right or pick up a rotisserie dinner. Stocked with more than 30,000 products including organic foods, Casa Santa Luzia is also beautifully designed. Colourful stained-glass windows add a playful touch of light above shoppers’ heads, while the modernist-style exterior offers an antidote to most supermarkets’ grey tones. Best of all, there’s a much-loved café on the second floor.

Over the years, Casa Santa Luzia’s family-led management team has repeatedly ruled out expansion, ensuring that its expertise isn’t stretched thin. Its third-generation director, Ana Maria Lopes, argues that this is the supermarket’s strength. “Our family is proud to manage what we now consider to be a true asset to São Paulo,” she says. “We’re committed to maintaining our position as a benchmark for the retail of food products.”

It’s no wonder that the shop has become indispensable to local residents. The menu, which features more than 1,000 homemade dishes, offers options for both lunch and dinner, such as beef stroganoff, Brazilian shrimp stew or a light selection of quiches. Doesn’t every city deserve to have its own Casa Santa Luzia?
santaluzia.com.br

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Dr Stretch: Japan’s secret weapon fighting stiff joints and office slouch

There was once a time when Masahiro Kurokawa had to explain to everyone what a stretching studio did. To many in Japan, it seemed rather odd that people would pay for something that was potentially painful and could be done for free at home while sitting in front of the television.

Kurokawa opened his first outpost of Dr Stretch in 2010 – a 40 sq m space with five beds in the Shinyurigaoka area of Kawasaki. Outside the world of professional sport, says Kurokawa, one-on-one stretching sessions with a trainer simply “didn’t exist in Japan”.

Today, Kurokawa’s Tokyo-based wellness company Nobitel runs a network of 240 Dr Stretch branches in Japan and 46 overseas – including in China, Singapore and the UAE. The company estimates that a million customers have had their limbs and joints tuned up by the brand’s trainers; there are currently about 70,000 active members. This spring, Dr Stretch will enter the European market with a space in Amsterdam. The brand then hopes to expand further west. “What I really want is to be in the US market,” he says.

The idea for Dr Stretch came to Kurokawa in the late 2000s when his 11 year old son, a talented footballer, was sidelined as a result of knee pain. The entrepreneur took his son to see several orthopaedic doctors and chiropractors; all simply prescribed prolonged rest. Then, by chance, Kurokawa met a professional sports trainer who told the boy to try a series of stretches. “My son’s pain went away and I immediately saw the potential for a broader audience,” says Kurokawa.

The experience became the basis for his business strategy: to demonstrate that Dr Stretch’s “core balance stretching” method could improve top athletes’ performance and offer a pared-down version to the general public. This approach allows the business to stand out in Japan’s ¥700bn (€3.8bn) fitness industry, while offering customers a new way to address physical ailments beyond popular options such as massage or acupuncture. It is the biggest name in a fast-growing sector of Japan’s fitness industry. The country has long had a wide array of treatment options for consumers’ everyday ailments: massage, osteopathic, acupuncture, chiropractic and orthopaedic rehab clinics. “Dr Stretch has increasingly established itself as an alternative to those types of services,” says Takenori Furuya, the editor in chief and publisher of Fitness Business, a Tokyo based bimonthly magazine.

Dr Stretch’s spaces are typically small and sparingly furnished, with between six to 15 beds. Trainers cater to clients from all walks of life, from J-pop musicians and primary school children to middle-aged office workers. “It can take three or four months before you see any noticeable improvements,” says Kurokawa. “With any health related business, it’s always the same: people have to feel the effect or they just won’t stick with it.”
doctorstretch.com

Meet four of Dubai’s elite property brokers, navigating its luxury market with strategy and style

Dubai’s property market has never lacked ambition but it has rarely looked like this. According to the Dubai Land Department, more than 40,000 licensed brokers now operate here. However, only a small fraction of them get close to the apex of the market, where single homes sell for the price of small European hotels and commissions are earned (or lost) on instinct alone. It’s a pure commission economy. There are no salaries or safety nets. Agents arrive from everywhere: Britons fleeing tired markets; Russians following capital; Arabs returning with regional clout; Europeans armed with pitch decks. Most don’t last. Those who do learn quickly that in Dubai, property is part performance, part intelligence.

For some, success is visual. They arrive sharp, glossy and conspicuously wealthy, mirroring the aspirations of their clients. Fast cars, heavy watches and an Instagram-ready life are not indulgences here – they’re tools. As one agent puts it, “If you’re selling to billionaires, you can’t look like you don’t belong in their world.” Others operate quietly. They talk less about marble finishes and more about noise corridors, flight paths and resale risk. They build businesses around discretion and repeat buyers. In a market saturated with sellers, sound advice has become a rare commodity.

The agents who survive at the top do so because they understand something fundamental: Dubai rewards conviction but punishes bluff. What matters most here isn’t where you came from or how good you look. The market only asks whether you can close a deal.

Ben Bandari

Company: Benco Real Estate
Years in business: 24
Biggest sale: AED500m (€115m)

Ben Bandari has seen Dubai at its most fragile and at its most inflated. He arrived in 2002, selling brochures and promises, long before the Palm Jumeirah had a shoreline worth photographing. Today he is widely considered to be the UAE’s most prolific broker, a status reinforced by his starring role in TV show Million Dollar Listing UAE and a contacts book that, he says, contains “at least 10 billionaires”.

Bandari understands visibility better than most. He is unapologetic about it. “If you’re not out there, you’re irrelevant,” he says. The cameras follow him, the Patek Philippe watch stays on his wrist and the deals often exceeding AED100m (€23m), continue to land. But longevity, he insists, matters more than glamour. “I stayed when others left,” he says of the 2008 crash. “That’s how reputations are built.”

The villa that he is selling on Billionaires’ Row on the Palm Jumeirah is valued at AED200m (€46m). It is a six-bedroom waterfront property with uninterrupted views, a rooftop area and a spacious basement; meanwhile, the artwork inside is worth the same as the house itself. Travertine marble, custom finishes and full water frontage make it one of the most expensive private homes currently on the market.

Bandari’s buyers are global and often already known to him. Sales are rarely public; they begin at private dinners or invitation-only events. “This isn’t about portals,” he says. “It’s about access.” In a market crowded with ambition, Bandari’s advantage is simple – he has been here longer than most and survived every cycle.

Dounia Fadi

Company: EXP Realty Dubai
Years in business: 20
Biggest sale: AED38m (€8.8m)

Dounia Fadi doesn’t sell noise. In Volante Tower, one of Downtown Dubai’s most discreet addresses, she moves with the ease of someone who has watched the city build itself from the ground up. Cartier on her wrist, Van Cleef at her neck, she speaks calmly, deliberately – more adviser than agent. “Luxury is an overused word in Dubai,” she says. “What matters is quality, serenity and trust.”

Fadi is one of the few brokers who have operated across every phase of Dubai’s modern property history, from the introduction of freehold laws to today’s hyper-regulated, data-driven market. She is also the only female mentor appointed by the Dubai Land Department, a role that she describes as “necessary but difficult” in an industry still dominated by men. “You need patience and consistency,” she says. “And you must think like an investor, not a salesperson.”

The property that she is selling here reflects that philosophy. The full-floor apartment in Volante, priced at AED60m (€13.8m), offers private lift access, generous proportions and hotel-grade services. Another listing in the same building, a penthouse valued at AED190m (€44m), pushes discretion even further. Residents have chefs, spas and security. “This is for people who don’t want to be seen,” says Fadi.

Her clients are global, high-net-worth and exacting. And they are less interested in brochures than in track records. Before she recommends anything, she asks herself, “Would I buy this myself?” It is a question that has helped to keep her relevant for two decades in a market that rarely forgives complacency.

Rami Wahood

Company: Fäm Properties
Years in business: 13
Biggest sale: AED61.5m (€14m)

Rami Wahood arrives in Al Wasl in a bright-blue Ferrari 812 Superfast, wearing loafers, a belt and a pocket square in matching shades. At 38, he looks every inch the modern Dubai broker: polished, relentless and hungry. “This is my life,” he says plainly. “I don’t have a balance.”

Born in Chicago to Syrian parents, Wahood started in Dubai at the bottom of the market, selling modest villas before climbing steadily into the eight-figure bracket. Today he is an executive partner at Fäm Properties. Exposure matters, he says, but consistency matters more. “You eat, sleep and breathe this,” he says. “That’s the job.”

The villa that he is selling in Al Wasl is priced at AED83m (€19m) and sits in one of the few freehold zones close to Downtown Dubai. With six bedrooms, Scandinavian-inspired architecture, Swedish wood cladding and views of the Burj Khalifa, it is deliberately restrained, a rarity in a city often accused of excess. “This is for people who understand taste,” says Wahood. “Minimalism is hard to do well.”

His buyers are often seasoned, internationally mobile and decisive. Wahood believes that presentation still matters. “You have to look the part,” he says. “Not for shallow reasons but because confidence is contagious.” In Dubai, ambition is not hidden. It arrives loudly and Wahood makes no apology for matching the tempo of the city.

Matt Siddell

Company: Independent
Years in business: More than 15
Biggest sale: Transactions exceeding AED250m (€58m)

Matt Siddell doesn’t look like a Dubai broker. Shirt unbuttoned and relaxed, he greets his clients on the 41st floor of a Dubai Harbour penthouse with spreadsheets rather than spectacle. “I don’t sell real estate,” he says. “I advise.”

Formerly based in London, Siddell arrived in Dubai with a network, not a brand. He avoided large agencies and built a business around retainers and risk analysis. “If your incentive is to close before someone else does, that’s a different agenda,” he says. “My clients are long term.”

The penthouse that he is showing is priced at AED24m (€5.5m). West-facing, with expansive terraces, it is positioned for appreciation rather than drama. Siddell talks about road completions, sight-lines and noise maps before he mentions views. “You make your money when you buy,” he says. “Not when you post it on Instagram.”

His clients, often family offices and institutional investors, value restraint. Helicopters are tools, not toys. “It’s easy to get carried away in Dubai,” he says. “Staying grounded is the real skill.” In a city that celebrates performance, Siddell’s success lies in refusing to perform at all.

Three new pieces of military kit outsmarting drones and supply chain bottlenecks

1.
A $14 solution for defeating high-altitude drone threats
Dragonfire laser weapon
UK

Dragonfire can detect and silently shoot down an approaching drone, aircraft or missile in seconds. A laser directed-energy weapon (LDEW) developed by a consortium of UK companies led by MBDA for the Royal Navy, it is due to come into service in 2027. LDEWs have been developed as a low-cost way to tackle unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). When Iran sent drones to Israel in April 2024, they caused little material damage but the efforts to take them down cost an estimated $1bn (€846m).

Dragonfire, by contrast, costs $14 (€12) per shot and can hit a coin from 1km away using a laser beam strong enough to cut through metal. Successful live-firing tests have been completed and it will be installed on the Royal Navy’s Type 45 warships, regularly deployed in hot spots such as the eastern Mediterranean and Gulf.
mbda-systems.com

2.
The Hellfire-armed 100km/h buggy
Tempest Vehicles
Virginia, USA

If there’s anything that the world’s militaries have learnt from the war in Ukraine, it’s the importance of finding ways to eliminate UAVs. Combating these inexpensive but effective machines has become a priority across the globe.

To this end, the Ukrainian armed forces are being assisted by US-made Tempest all-terrain vehicles, based on commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) platforms, equipped with AGM-114 Hellfire missiles. Unveiled in 2025, the Tempest is produced by Virginia-based manufacturers V2X and is designed for rapid response, with a lightweight, buggy-style 434 chassis that allows them to travel at speeds of up to 100km/h. The Tempest is fitted with a twin Longbow launcher that features a radar system capable of locating short-and medium-range drones come rain or shine.

The radar-and laser-guided AGM-114 Hellfire missiles have proved highly effective in taking out UAVs. They have a range of about 8km and carry a 9kg warhead – enough to deal with a drone while reducing the risk of collateral damage. Perhaps the Tempest’s most impressive characteristic, however, is its mobility. Designed as a “shoot-and-scoot” vehicle, after launching its missiles, it can rapidly redeploy before the enemy can fire back, while its radar type makes it difficult to be detected.

3.
Homegrown Ukrainian surveillance tech
Oko Camera
Ukraine

The West faces a supply-chain problem: how can it build the cameras essential for drone surveillance without sourcing parts from China? Ukrainian start-up Oko Camera offers a solution. “All of the key components of our serial production, including the chips, are produced in Europe,” says Denys Nikolayenko, its CEO. This year, Oko Camera is set to widen its product line with high-demand products for unmanned systems. “We have good feedback from units using them on the front line,” says Nikolayenko.
oko.camera

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Why blocking immigrant entrepreneurs is an act of American economic self-harm

An entrepreneurship expert at the University of Oxford’s Said Business School, Neri Karra Sillaman is the author of ‘Pioneers: 8 Principles of Business Longevity from Immigrant Entrepreneurs’, published last year. In the book, she explores the positive impact that foreign-born entrepreneurs have had on global business. Here, she explains why the Trump administration’s visa ban on 75 countries – effective since January 2026 – will damage the US economy.

Immigrant success stories define the American Dream, so it’s disappointing that the US is now leading the backlash against one of the most beneficial economic trends of our time. That backlash has been evident throughout the presidencies of Donald Trump, himself the son of an immigrant who fled poverty. But it reached new heights on 14 January when the US State Department announced that it would pause visa processing from 75 countries that together constitute nearly 40 per cent of the planet’s population. The reason given for this decision was that nationals from these places “take welfare from the American people at unacceptable rates” – and that this would only end if the government can ensure that “new immigrants will not extract wealth” from the US.

The political opposition to immigration is very real. Yet it has come at a time of stagnant growth, when the evidence of the positive economic contributions made by the movement of people is getting stronger. Not only does research show that immigrants in the US claim less welfare per capita than native-born Americans but foreign-born entrepreneurs are also major contributors to wealth creation.

According to the latest statistics, though first- or second-generation immigrants only make up about 27 per cent of the US population, this group has founded more than 46 per cent of the companies on the Fortune 500 list. Those companies employ more than 15.4 million people worldwide and generated $8.6trn (€7.3trn) in revenue in 2024 – a figure higher than the GDP of any country bar the US and China.

Outside the Fortune 500 companies, 80 per cent of billion-dollar start-ups have an immigrant founder or senior leader. Meanwhile, companies founded by someone who moved to a country generally grow faster and last longer than those of non-immigrants. My latest book, Pioneers, attempts to find out what lies behind those statistics by asking why those who put down roots somewhere new tend to be so successful in business, and what lessons we can learn from that.

I explored the stories of some of the most prominent examples of modern times, including many who come from those countries named in January’s ban. Though I’m an immigrant businesswoman myself, what I discovered surprised me. These entrepreneurs achieve success by going against conventional wisdom and offer strategies from which everyone can learn.

For example, while MBA students are typically advised to look outwards to spot gaps in the market, immigrant entrepreneurs tend to look inwards to create businesses rooted in their identities or experiences. Take Jan Koum, a Ukrainian immigrant whose experience of surveillance in the USSR and annoyance at the high cost of calling home from the US led him to create a fully encrypted and free communication platform: Whatsapp.

Immigrant entrepreneurs are also often good at building networks that help them to achieve their goals. Consider Hamdi Ulukaya, a Kurd from Turkey who turned a disused factory in New York state into the multi-billion-dollar food company Chobani. Ulukaya achieved his success by recruiting from the local community, integrating refugees into his workforce and rewarding his staff by giving them a 10 per cent stake in the business.

As Ulukaya’s story suggests, immigrant entrepreneurs’ success can also be attributed to their tendency to place purpose above profit. In Pioneers, I tell the story of Luis von Ahn, the computer scientist whose dream of democratising education led him to create the world’s top learning app, Duolingo. Von Ahn was born and brought up in Guatemala, one of the 75 countries whose nationals can no longer obtain immigrant visas for the US. Had that ruling been in place in 2000, when Von Ahn moved there, the US and the world would likely have been deprived of his invention.

We’ll never know what companies the US will miss out on if the new ban on visa-processing persists, nor how much wealth it will extract from the American people. But if the country continues to repudiate immigration, which made it great, it will create many opportunities for other states. Governments that are brave enough to stand up to the backlash can position themselves to attract the sort of entrepreneurial talent that has been proven to drive world-changing innovation, large-scale job creation and long-term growth.