Kosovo – Winning its Independence but Losing its People? Recent Evidence on Emigration Intentions and Preparedness to Migrate

Abstract

Kosovo declared its independence from Serbia in February 2008, but substantial proportions of its population are expressing their lack of confidence by preparing to emigrate. In this paper, we present evidence from a customized post‐independence survey (1,367 face‐to face interviews) on emigration intentions in Kosovo, carried out in June 2008. Thirty per cent of the respondents from the Albanian‐speaking majority have taken concrete steps to move abroad, and emigration intentions have again risen to their pre‐independence peak. Strikingly, it is the better educated and those with higher incomes that are more likely to exit. Ethnic Serbs (the largest minority group) are less likely to emigrate than Kosovo’s ethnic majority.

Exit or Voice? The Recent Drivers of Kosovar Out‐migration

“… The phenomenon of better educated and middle class people leaving the country was already observed by Ivlevs & King (). …”

“…A rather new phenomenon is the significant number of people who have left as a group or with their families. The increased interest of young families to leave that was already recognized by Ivlevs and King (2015) now seems to be materializing. Among others, poor health care and education make prospects grim for a young family living in rural Kosovo or in small towns (Shahini, 2015, expert interview).…”

“…Migration in that sense provides everyone with a "paradigm of problem solving" (Hirschman, 1970: 272). Serious fragilities persist in Kosovo's economic and political spheres and have led to deep pessimism in the country (Ivlevs & King, 2015). Adding to this, the recent forming of the ruling government coalition caused further discontent and may be seen as the torch that ignited the migration flame.…”

Does More Schooling Make You Run for the Border? Evidence from Post-Independence Kosovo

“…Following Ivļevs and King (2012), the set of standard socio-demographic characteristics potentially affecting the willingness to migrate includes age, age squared, household size and its squared term, household income per income earner and its squared term, dummy variables for being male, married, having children of different ages (0-6, 7-14, 15-18), living in a rural area and being unemployed, two migrant network dummies (first, for family members living abroad and sending remittances; second, for family members living abroad but not sending remittances), 11 dummies for the first and second generation migrants, and dummies for Kosovo Serbs living in North and Centre enclaves, Kosovo Serbs living in South-East enclaves, and the non-Serb minorities (with Kosovo Albanians being the reference group). An Online Appendix provides the definitions and summary statistics of the variables included in the regressions.…”

Iranian Civil Rights Movement and Independence Movement in Kosovo? European Union’s Role in the Freedom Movements and State-Building

“…Another perspective is the emigration trend, since the Kosovo independence proclamation, many people from Kosovo migrated out to the EU countries. Ivlevs and King (2010) reports that better educated ethnic Albanians and those with higher incomes are more likely to exit and that Ethnic Serbs (the largest minority group) are less likely to emigrate than Kosovo"s ethnic majority. Ivlevs and King (2010) work out a statistical report from the survey carried out in Kosovo and state that " the probability of being a potential mover first increases with income up to the level of 318 EUR per earner, and decreases thereafter…this finding could be an indication of the loss of energetic, talented and entrepreneurial people from Kosovo…suggesting that migration costs are important for the decision to migrate, and, in Kosovo, only the relatively wealthy are able to cover them" (p. 16).…”