What measures are being taken in the region for the return of emigrants?

While grappling with the outflow of qualified labor, the countries of the Western Balkans are also striving to use various incentives to bring back emigrants who have been living and working abroad for some time. Some countries have well-prepared strategies in place, while others are still in the planning stages. However, experts from Belgrade, Pristina, Skopje, and Tirana emphasize that results cannot be achieved overnight, but they are not unattainable either. Ireland and Estonia serve as good examples. Factors such as quality of life, a well-functioning system, and improved working conditions often stimulate returns even more than the prospect of higher earnings.

Written by Dusica Radeka Djordjevic

Five years ago, Serbia adopted the Strategy on Economic Migration for the Period 2021–2027, which, among other goals, aimed to enhance cooperation between the diaspora and the homeland and to create conditions to encourage and support the return of emigrants.

At the end of last year, Serbia's Ministry of Health awarded six employment contracts to doctors returning from the United States, Norway, and the UAE, including Dalibor Stojanovic, who returned to work at the Health Center in Gracanica.

According to North Macedonia’s Minister of Health, Arben Taravari, interest among doctors from the country working abroad in returning home has increased. Meanwhile, Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama has called on emigrants to return to Albania, announcing a new financial support program for those who come back to engage in agro-tourism.

When it comes to Kosovo, the president of the Kosovo Business Alliance, Agim Shahini, believes Kosovo lacks an effective package of measures to ensure emigrants return. He notes that over the past four years, more than 213,000 people have left Kosovo.

The greatest tragedy, he says, is that even now, many citizens are waiting in European Union embassies for work visas, seeking a better life abroad.

"Unfortunately, there are no incentives for return. Many of our citizens live abroad, across the Balkans, and consider Kosovo their homeland. They dream of Kosovo, but there isn’t an adequate package of measures to enable their return. Many of our citizens who left after the war have settled worldwide. Those who went to Europe have, more or less, already established themselves there," Shahini explained for Kosovo Online.

Shahini also notes that the best proposals for emigrants tend to surface during election campaigns but are often abandoned afterward.

"Right now, politicians have packages of proposals, but after the elections, these promises are forgotten, as if they were never made. We have tried all the political parties in Kosovo, both Albanian and Serbian, which is why citizens should choose parties that deliver on their promises, not those that promise a lot but do nothing," he concluded.

Senior researcher at the Center for European Policy in Belgrade, Ana Milinkovic, tells Kosovo Online that the most significant contribution to the return of migrants to Serbia and the reintegration of returnees has been made by the organization “Returning Point”. The organization collaborates with the government and acts as a link between returnees and the state. One of their key projects is the Carta Serbica.

“Carta Serbica makes it easier for people of Serbian origin, who were forced by laws and regulations in other countries to renounce their Serbian citizenship or those born abroad who did not obtain Serbian citizenship by birth, to get a residency permit in Serbia. Based on this, they can find employment or start their own business,” Milinkovic explained.

“Returning Point,” she adds, also has a guide for returnees that contains most of the information needed by someone who wishes to return to the country, and this information is also provided by the eGovernment portal.

“There are some employment benefits, for instance, for young researchers. A program for young researchers is available during specific application periods, and returnees face more relaxed criteria compared to researchers from Serbia. There is also an initiative aimed at bringing back drivers,” she noted.

However, Milinkovic emphasizes that the primary reason people leave the country is economic, but those same reasons are not sufficient to bring them back.

“Simply increasing salaries won’t bring these people back. The social climate needs to change because some people left for reasons beyond just income. They need an additional motive to return, apart from wages. Serbia cannot compete with the countries our people are moving to in terms of earnings, but financial incentives are crucial for moving abroad, as the way of life or cultural aspects won’t necessarily attract people there,” Milinkovic pointed out.

Based on a comparative analysis of the experiences of three countries – Bulgaria, Estonia, and Ireland – that Milinkovic worked on, she noted that approximately 50% of Estonians who emigrate settle in Finland. However, as Estonia experienced economic growth and the results of its transition became evident, a large number of people began returning from Finland, despite slightly higher wages there.

Milinkovic also stressed that once people emigrate, it becomes easier for them to do so again, which is why balanced regional development within the country is so important.

“If someone moves from Novi Pazar to Belgrade, it becomes easier for them to later move abroad from Belgrade. Most of our students study in Belgrade, which means they have already taken that first step. This is why it is essential for Serbia to develop more evenly, offering fair and equal conditions in the labor market and better opportunities at the local level,” Milinkovic assessed.

She also emphasizes the importance of the state having accurate data on where its emigrants are located, where highly educated emigrants live, and where the workforce with medium levels of education resides – something Serbia, she notes, urgently needs.

Another crucial aspect, she highlights, is maintaining contact and connections with the homeland. She again references Estonia, which offers free Estonian language courses for both children and adults – a measure she says is very significant for potential returns in the future.

"These are changes that do not happen overnight or quickly, but it is important to work on broader, systemic improvements," she concludes.

North Macedonian analyst Sinisa Pekevski tells Kosovo Online that the country has yet to develop a strategy for the return of qualified individuals who have emigrated. He emphasizes that this is a long-term process and that the percentage of returnees remains low, whether in Albania, North Macedonia, or Serbia.

He emphasizes that this issue is influenced not only by financial incentives but by more critical factors such as the quality of life, corruption, and overall functioning of the system.

“Emigration, particularly among young, qualified people, is a problem faced by almost all countries, not just those in the Western Balkans but also highly developed nations. In Slovenia, for example, a significant number of young people emigrate to Austria, Switzerland, or Germany. Young people from these countries often move to warmer regions, such as the United States. It’s a global process,” Pekevski explained.

He adds that each country has different measures aimed at bringing emigrants back. Ireland, for instance, had an excellent return strategy in the 1990s, but it is important to note that their system functions effectively.

“In the Balkans, the system doesn’t work. We face high corruption and a lack of rule of law, which are the main reasons people decide to emigrate – not just financial implications,” Pekevski assessed.

Although North Macedonia’s Minister of Health, Arben Taravari, has announced measures to encourage the return of doctors working abroad, including direct employment in public healthcare, Pekevski believes these measures will not succeed because the healthcare system is in a state of collapse.

“What kind of system will these people find? An article was recently published stating that there is no biological therapy for patients with certain types of cancer, and there won’t be any. In the coming days, the system will face other shortages in therapy for treating such patients. We need deep reforms and the establishment of good governance, avoiding the hiring of unqualified party-affiliated or other personnel,” Pekevski stressed.

To encourage the return of emigrants to Albania, according to economic expert and analyst at the Tirana-based company "Altax," Eduart Gjokutaj, a comprehensive package of government measures is needed. He emphasizes that the priority should be promoting fiscal incentives not only for agriculture and tourism but across the entire economy.

Regarding Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama’s call for emigrants to return and invest in the country, as well as the announcement of a new financial support program for agritourism, Gjokutaj notes that such a program had existed during Rama’s third term. At that time, a promise was made to provide 5,000 euros to every emigrant who returned and invested in agritourism.

Gjokutaj says that the program was partially implemented and did help stimulate the establishment of agribusinesses or tourist farms to some extent. However, he believes that measures should not be solely focused on agritourism and must be diversified across the entire economy.

“To encourage the return of emigrants and their investment in the economy, a full government package is needed, addressing economic, fiscal, and budgetary aspects, as well as legal certainty and contract enforcement. These issues have hindered the full integration of emigrants, who have faced significant bureaucratic and corruption-related obstacles, lacking legal certainty for their investments. Furthermore, there has been inadequate coordination of fiscal initiatives with state subsidies. As experts, we advise prioritizing the promotion and revision of fiscal incentives. The national strategy should also be reviewed so that these incentives are not limited to agriculture and tourism. Albania, first and foremost, lacks technology to achieve greater economic capacity,” Gjokutaj stated.

He emphasizes that fiscal incentives should include corporate tax reductions for emigrants who establish start-up businesses. Additionally, subsidies should be more flexible, and tailored to the specific needs of emigrants, rather than being distributed in fixed amounts. New companies, according to Gjokutaj, require up to 50% financial support for initial operating and financial costs.

“Legal and judicial reforms must also be undertaken to ensure what investors need, particularly in terms of contract enforcement and the implementation of existing laws, complemented by bylaws. This would facilitate investments by emigrants, offering not only fiscal relief but also legal security for their investments. Stability in legislation is key, as frequent changes deter investors. Furthermore, better promotion is needed to guide emigrants on where and how to invest,” Gjokutaj added.

He points out that although there is a "Diaspora Chamber" and several other related organizations, these structures appear to lack the necessary capacity to address the issue of emigrant return effectively.

“There is another issue that needs to be resolved, which concerns housing, as emigrants do not always have the means to secure accommodation. This is what constitutes a ‘full package’ of support,” Gjokutaj concluded.