SEEU Review vol. 6 Nr. 2 (pdf) - South East European University

Luljeta Ikonomi, PhD Candidatethese people identify as Albanian in origin. As per the National Institute ofDiaspora, many members of these communities have preserved the languageand customs, regardless of the limited contact with Albania during the 50years of isolation under Enver Hoxha’s communist regime.The second phase of Albanian migration, which took place during thecommunist period, was motivated primarily by political reasons. The numberof those who left the country has been very limited, mainly asylum seekerswho left due to fear of persecution (around 20.000 persons left from 1945-1990 according to De Zwager, Gedeshi, Germenji, Nikas, 2007: 9). Thenational legislation did not allow emigration as such; those who left wereconsidered enemies of the state or as having committed the crime of treason.The 1990s marked a new phase of migration which resulted in theformation of new communities of Albanians abroad. Since 1992, Albaniahas had the highest out-migration rate in Europe, with up to 27.5% of itspopulation moving outside the national borders (Albanian National Strategyon Migration: 2004, p.7 and World Bank Remittances Factbook: 2008).Some studies refer to a number as high as 1.2 million emigrants (Gedeshi:2010:17) out of a population of 3.639.453 Albanians or to a migration rate of-4.28/1000 persons (CIA Factbook, 2009). This figure refers mainly to theemigrants that have left during the last twenty years, the so called ‘newgeneration of Diaspora’, which started after the fall of communism in 1991and continued through to the present.Emigration of the 1990s was seen as a short-term solution to dire povertyin Albania, but the ongoing ‘transition’ to a functioning capitalist democracyin Albania led many to consider emigration a long term solution, eventhough they continued to think of Albania as their true home. Albaniansgradually established and joined many Albanian organizations in thecountries of destination, such as in Greece and Italy where a myriad oforganisations of Albanian Emigrants flourished, as well as in the UK,Sweden, Switzerland, Germany, Canada and in particular the USA, wherethe organisations representing the traditional Diaspora become representativealso of the new migrants communities (Ragaru, Dymi: 10-15).Impact of the Albanian Diaspora in the Home CountryTraditionally, the members of Diaspora have brought new ideas,standards and different values to Albanian society. Starting from thelegendary hero Skanderbeg, who was recruited as a child by Turks and was40