Migration and Integration from the perspective of the Western Balkans

Emilio Cocco

Topics

• Migrations

• Balkans post IIWW

• Integration and Citizenship

Migration graph

PUSH and PULL model

• PUSH AND PULL FACTORS OF MIGRATION

• Push Factors—Factors that make you want to leave a place

• Economic factors:• Lack of employment Natural disasters (earthquakes, floods) Lack of food or shelter Lower standard of living

• Social Factors:• Lack of health care Lack of educational opportunities Lack of religious tolerance

• Political Factors:• Unfair legal system Disenfranchisement (Not being able to vote) or lack of governmental tolerance War and terrorism

• Pull Factors—Factors that draw you to live in a place

• Economic Factors:• Hope for better employment More money and food Better shelter Hope for family to have a higher standard of living

• Social Factors:• Encouragement from family and friends Better health care Better educational opportunities Religious tolerance

• Political Factors:• To gain protection under the law Right to vote and freedom from persecution Safety

Balkan migrations in the decade of the cold war

• Ethnic and Labor migrations (tab. 1)

• From the 1960s : strong economic motives and supportive policies, i.e. Yugoslavia growing till the 1970s with a peak in 1973 (850.000 migrants to Western Europe: Germany, Austria, Switzerland mostly)

• 1975-1985 reverse trend: restrictive policies of hosting countries (drop to 500.000 in 1985)

• 1985-1990 new growth for the political, social and economic deterioration of in YU (550.000 in 1990)

• But if we consider family members/inactive population (countries of destination statistics) the figure reaches 1.3 million!

• Conflicting representations depending on the methodology and the way the problem is approached.

1990s• 1) Ethnic conflicts and forced migrations.

(displacements, refugees, asylum seekers, etc.)

• 2) “spontaneous” migration flows previously controlled by the state.

• 3) Not only origin but also transit. Illegal and informal networks and lack of statistics. (negative stereotypes, “yugo”)

Comparative outlook

• BiH greater losses in 1990-1995 (almost 1 million out of 4,3 millions) partly recovered in 1995-2000.

• Albania 700.000 “losses” in the 1990s

• Slovenia and Croatia have positive trends (countries of immigration in the 1990s)

• Macedonia and Serbia-Montenegro alternates positive and negative trends.