Rethinking Migration and Return in Southeastern Europe

Abstract

This book provides an important new analytical framework for making sense of return, remigration, and circular mobility, conceptualising them as different phases of a wider migration process.Using an in-depth case study of Albania and its two main destination countries, Italy and Greece, the book demonstrates that instead of being viewed as a linear path between origin and destination, migration should be seen as a segmented or cyclical pattern that may involve several localities and more than two countries. Characterized by important previous historical, social, economic, and political linkages, geographical proximity, but also high migration volatility and sustained flows in either directions, Albanian migration to Italy and Greece offers an optimal case study for analysing complex return, reintegration, and mobility processes. While interesting as a unique regional migration system, the lessons learned cast light on important migration and mobility dynamics that are relevant for labour migration in Europe, also from other important migrant origin countries in the EU's neighbourhood such as for instance Morocco or the Ukraine.This rich theoretical and empirical study will be of interest to researchers within European studies and migration studies, as well as providing a useful contribution to policy debates on how to govern return migration, reintegration, and circular migration.

The (big) role of family constellations in return migration and transnationalism

“…Despite the existence of a broad literature studying migration in Albania that explains the causes and consequences (Gedeshi, 2002; Konica and Filer, 2009; Göler, 2017), the traits of internal and international migration, return migration (Caro, 2016; Duci et al , 2019; Gemi and Triandafyllidou, 2021) and potential migration (Gëdeshi et al , 2018), there appears to be fewer studies focusing on the role that family plays in decision-making related to the migration experience, from the moment of departure to the return, transnationalism or remittances’ investments.…”

“…In the Albanian case, “family dynamics cannot be separated from the socio-economic dimensions when trying to understand the main forces behind the migration and transnational practices nexus” (Gemi, 2014, p. 6). The role of trans-local families with a strong sense of belonging to a common community and as pillars of solidarity during emigration, return and adaptation has been unfolded mainly in the Albanian–Greece context but also in the Albanian–Italy one (Vullnetari, 2007, 2012; Leutloff-Grandits and Pichler, 2014; Gemi, 2014; Mai and Paladini, 2013; Cela, 2017; Gemi and Triandafyllidou, 2021; Xhaho et al , 2022). Geographic proximity, as well as better knowledge of the culture of these two main destination countries, has led to an increase in the number of cases of transnational migrants.…”

Essays on the decision- making processes of irregularised migrants over the course of their migration trajectories

“…Throughout the 1990s and 2000s, neighbouring Greece and Italy received the largest shares of Albanian migrants: usually young men seeking work (often irregularly) -sometimes later followed by their wives and families (Gemi & Triandafyllidou 2021). The following decade saw a new trend in Albanian migration which has received considerably less analysis.…”

“…Albanians are subject to border controls which control entry to the Schengen area, but since 2010, Albanians have had visa-free access to the EU, which has facilitated circular patterns of (semi-legal) labour migration. Seasonal work in Greece, involving legal entry and often informal employment provides Albanians with an accessible labour migration opportunity within the three-month limit of their visa-free access to the EU (Gemi & Triandafyllidou 2021). Since November 2015 Albanians of all skill levels have also had greater access to the German labour market under the Western Balkan Regulation.…”