Reintegration Patterns of Return migrants in the Albanian Labor Market

Abstract

Over the last few years, the global economic crisis triggered an unexpected increase in the number of migrants returning to Albania. Regardless of the returnees’ typology, the upward trend in return migration highlights the need for measures that could tackle reintegration challenges upon return to their country of origin. In practice, reintegration support consists mainly of project-based programs which are limited and not sustainable over time. The primary goal of this study is to analyze returnees’ patterns and mechanisms of reintegration in the Albanian labor market. The study provides some evidence-based recommendations for policy stakeholders to design targeted reintegration programs and policies for returnees aiming to promote the investment of financial capital, know-how, and know who earned abroad. The findings show that returnees perceived the business environment in Albania as being unfavorable for the successful development of their business. The country’s infrastructure gaps, feeble public investment, non-transparent business procedures regarding investments and soft loans, bureaucracy, and widespread informality seem to hamper foreign entrepreneurial investment from returnees.