Only 30% of educated Albanian immigrants work in their professions

Albania is one of the countries with the highest levels of brain drain in the world, but data shows that experts and educated people who have fled Albania do not work in their profession, reducing the chances that they will transfer their knowledge. for the development of our country.

According to World Bank calculations (graph below) only 28% of educated immigrants work in positions that require skills and are close to their profession, one of the lowest levels globally.

Local studies and surveys have shown that over 60% of academic staff have emigrated during the last three decades. The brain drain has depleted the country of experts and reduced the chances of integration at a higher level of the value chain.

Some countries have chances to benefit from the educated diaspora. WB estimates show that most countries have over 50% of their diaspora working in host countries.

The calculations of INSTAT experts have shown that Albania, until 2020, had the highest percentage of emigration of educated people and students living abroad in the region.

According to INSTAT's publication, "Albanian Diaspora in Figures", the total number of people who left Albania in 2020 was 1,684,135 individuals. Also, INSTAT and the International Organization for Migration (IOM) have conducted a household migration survey.

In this survey, data was collected on the educational level and employment status, in the group of people aged 15 and over, where it turned out that over 350 thousand people had left during the years 2011-2019. Data from the survey have shown that 47% of people with higher education have emigrated.

Albania also ranks first for the number of students studying abroad, with 18,181 students, followed by Serbia with 15,749 students, then Bosnia with 15,399.

Experts claim that, on the one hand, the high number of Albanian students studying abroad can be seen as a positive phenomenon for the part of acquiring knowledge in the relevant fields where they study, but on the other hand, it can also be seen as a measuring indicator for lack of students' confidence in the quality of Albanian universities.

To mitigate the negative effect of this phenomenon, mainly in developing countries, the most important method is to undertake a series of policies that include important aspects of a country's development, such as economic, social, educational and environmental.

 

First and foremost, we must recognize that continued immigration is usually the symptom, not the cause, of an underlying problem.

 

For the long term, governments must address fundamental issues with policies aimed at improving governance, strengthening institutions and improving the delivery of public services.

 

Increasing productivity in occupations that require high qualifications, many of which are in the public sector, and making wages more competitive, would "lure" workers to stay.

 

At the same time, private sector development and job creation must be complemented by public sector reforms, without which, skilled professionals will continue to emigrate.

 

There are also policies that can successfully encourage the return of their highly skilled diaspora by providing tax incentives for returning migrants.

 

The return of immigrants can support economic development, especially when they bring capital and knowledge, and when their countries give them the right conditions to fully apply their skills and experience, experts suggest.

 

nomeni, mainly in developing countries, the most important method is to undertake a series of policies that include important aspects of a country's development, such as economic, social, educational and environmental.

 

First and foremost, we must recognize that continued immigration is usually the symptom, not the cause, of an underlying problem.

 

For the long term, governments must address fundamental issues with policies aimed at improving governance, strengthening institutions and improving the delivery of public services.

 

Increasing productivity in occupations that require high qualifications, many of which are in the public sector, and making wages more competitive, would "lure" workers to stay.

 

At the same time, private sector development and job creation must be complemented by public sector reforms, without which, skilled professionals will continue to emigrate.

 

There are also policies that can successfully encourage the return of their highly skilled diaspora by providing tax incentives for returning migrants.

 

The return of immigrants can support economic development, especially when they bring capital and knowledge, and when their countries give them the right conditions to fully apply their skills and experience, experts suggest.