Remittances, return, diaspora: framing the debate in the context of Albania and Kosova

Abstract

This paper is an introduction to the special issue and is in five parts. The first part provides a brief overview of post‐1990 migration from Albania as a route out of poverty and a quest for freedom and self‐realization for Albanians. The Kosovan migration has a different history: labour migration in the 1960s and early 1970s, refugee flight in the 1990s. Then the authors outline a theoretical framework for migration’s contribution to development. Third, this framework is applied to the cases of Albania and Kosova, drawing on findings from the papers in this issue and other literature. The fourth section of the paper revisits the migration–development nexus from a policy perspective, examining in turn remittances, return migration and host‐ and home‐country government responsibilities. Finally, we speculate on the global economic crisis that started in mid‐2008 and its impact on the region and its migrants.