Migratory movements and effects on human potential - The case of Albania

• Pages: 49-57

49

Balkan Journal of Interdisciplinary Research

IIPCCL Publishing, Graz-Austria

ISSN 2410-759X

Acces online at www.iipccl.org

Vol. 9 No.1

May, 2023

Migratory movements and eects on human potential - The case of Albania

Dr. Lindita Kiri

Fan. S. Noli University, Korce, Albania

Abstract

Since the beginning of the post-socialist transition in 1991, Albania has experienced one of the

largest migratory processes of modern times in the world in terms of the scale and intensity

of international migration. Currently, more than 1.6 million Albanians are abroad. Albanian

migration continues and will continue in the future. Albanian migration has been a dynamic

process during the last three decades. During the rst decade of emigration, 1990-2001,

migration consisted mainly of moving towards Greece and Italy. According to INSTAT, there

were about 600,000 Albanians who had emigrated abroad. The second decade from 2001-

2010, based on the 2011 census, INSTAT - calculated a net emigration of 481,000 Albanians.

In the third decade of migration, as a result of internal and external factors, qualitative and

quantitative changes have occurred in relation to the nature of Albanian migration. It is the

economic factors that promote migration as well as new important factors, such as ‘children’s

education’ and ‘the lack of perspective in Albania’. Changes in the driving factors and

geography of migration are also reected in its social and demographic structure. Qualied

and educated people are dissatised with employment opportunities and working conditions

in Albania. Consequently, Albania will be hit more and more by brain drain and skills drain,

which will have negative consequences. Substantial reforms are needed in the Albanian labor

market to mitigate strong migration trends. The state should focus especially on employment

policies that aect middle and skilled workers who are more and more inclined to emigrate.

Albania should cooperate with the main host countries in the EU so that this migration turns

into a type of circular migration.

Keywords: Migration ow; Human capital; Albania; The population; Registration;

Immigration; Demographic situation; Employment.

Introduction

Ince 1991, from the beginning of the post-socialist transition, Albanian migratory

ows have reected the dynamics of macroeconomic conditions in the country.

During the last two decades, GDP growth averaged 6.2% in 2000 - 2008, 2.3% in

2009 - 2014, when the eects of the global economic and nancial crisis spread to

Albania, and 3.1% in 2015 - 2019.1 In 20191, the growth of GDP was 2.2%, after which

the economy shrank by 3.8% due to the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020. In the absence

of higher GDP growth, the per capita income gap in Albania compared to the EU

average has not narrowed. In 2019, the GDP per capita in Albania was 31% of the EU

average.2 Such levels of GDP growth do not facilitate the growth of public investments

in education, health, social protection and other services for the population. Despite

the volatility of GDP, unemployment in Albania, especially youth unemployment,

1 World Bank national accounts data.

2 World Bank, Personal remittances, received (% of GDP) - Albania | Data (worldbank.org).