Albania, as a migration laboratory

Ilir Gëdeshi and Russell King have been engaged in demographic studies for decades, mainly focusing on emigration and returns in both the general population and brain drain.

For Mr. King, a professor at Sussex University in Britain, Albania has become a unique case study in the phenomenon of mass emigration.

After decades of isolation, Albanians were swept up in an unstoppable wave of emigration, driven by the economic crisis, lack of perspective, and the desire for a better life.

This has made our country an ideal "laboratory" for migration researchers, who have the opportunity to observe various forms such as economic migration through asylum, "brain drain", marital migration, partial returns and internal movements towards urban centers.

Mr. Gëdeshi said that the prevailing causes of emigration currently remain mainly economic, poverty, unemployment and higher salaries abroad.

But cultural and social factors such as lack of trust in institutions, corruption and the desire for "a normal life" are also increasingly influencing.

The profiles of immigrants are diverse, from low-skilled workers, to educated professionals, students, and asylum seekers.

The percentage of "brain drain" has increased significantly, around 40% of emigration in the period 2012–2019 consisted of young graduates.

Researchers claim that Albanian emigration has evolved from manual workers towards more qualified and younger generations. Germany, the US and Britain have become the most preferred destinations, instead of Italy and Greece.

The desire for education and training abroad has also increased, especially among young people aged 18–40.

From one perspective, researchers have noted that in some way, emigration reduces social tensions and unemployment and increases foreign exchange reserves through remittances.

But according to them, the negative effects are many times greater. Emigration is contributing to the deepening of regional and social inequalities.

Only a small proportion of migrants return to Albania. Returns are more common in the case of rejected asylum seekers or those affected by crises in host countries.

Meanwhile, most living abroad maintain strong ties to Albania, but do not plan to return due to the lack of favorable conditions.

Surveys show that only 17% of the scientific diaspora and 15% of doctors want to return. Most cite the lack of political and economic stability, corruption, lack of meritocracy, and poor infrastructure as obstacles.

Returnees often feel like strangers in their own country. Researchers have noted that Albania is perceived as more individualistic and less communitarian than before.

Returnees face corruption, bureaucracy, informality, and challenges in building businesses, while rural areas are emptied and Tirana is overwhelmed by construction.

Mr. Gëdeshi said that solutions require deep reforms and targeted strategies.

Among the most important are increasing the economic level and quality of work, increasing trust in institutions, and fighting corruption.

They recommend active policies for the return of skilled workers, creating specialized databases that enable connections to the domestic market.

Researchers believe that the prospect of a massive return remains low as long as real reforms are lacking and prices rise faster than wages.

If Albania aims to move from exodus to return, this change requires more than just politics, it requires regained faith in the country's future./Monitor