Returnees from emigration, more at risk of unemployment - EBRD: Reintegration into the labor market remains a challenge. How many of them want to leave again?
A significant portion of Albania's population has lived abroad. According to the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) Transition Report, we surpass many other countries in the region in terms of emigration experience.
A survey conducted by the Austrian National Bank (OeNB) sheds light on patterns of repeat migration in Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Hungary, North Macedonia, Poland, Romania and Serbia. On average, 15% of respondents report having lived abroad, ranging from 7% in Hungary to 30% in Albania.
Of this 30%, about 16% of respondents declare that they have had an experience in emigration, have returned and have no plans to emigrate again. Meanwhile, almost 14% have emigrated, have returned and are planning to emigrate again.
One third of all migration periods lasted less than a year, while stays of more than three years were particularly common among respondents in Bosnia and Herzegovina (46%). Returning migrants in Albania and North Macedonia report that they are likely to migrate abroad again. Unemployment rates are higher among individuals with migration experience than among those who have never migrated. This holds even when controlling for other socio-demographic characteristics and is consistent with the fact that returnees often face challenges when reintegrating into their home country’s labour markets.
These models highlight the need for policies that facilitate the reintegration of returnees into the labor market, while simultaneously leveraging their accumulated skills, international networks, and entrepreneurial potential.
Migration is not necessarily a one-way journey, the EBRD report says. Many individuals change places several times in their lives, perhaps returning home and migrating again as circumstances change. This cyclical pattern of migration can be driven by emerging economic opportunities, family circumstances and individuals’ career prospects.
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