Vullnetari, Julie (2015) Albanian seasonal work migration to Greece: a case of last resort? In: Baldwin-Edwards, M, Vermeulen, H and Van Beschoeten, R (eds.) Migration in the Southern Balkans: From Ottoman Territory to Globalized Nation States. Springer, New York. ISBN 9783319137186

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Abstract

Since the collapse of the communist regime in 1990, Albania has witnessed large-scale emigration, particularly to neighbouring Greece and Italy, but also further afield to the UK and the USA. By 2010 it was estimated that more than 1.4 million Albanian emigrants lived abroad, comprising nearly 45 percent of the resident population of Albania of 3.2 million. Given its geographical and cultural proximity, Greece was one of the first and most important destinations for these migrants. During most of the 1990s these movements were largely irregular and short-term in character. The first regularisation in Greece in 1998 signalled the beginning of a stabilisation period for the migrant community there, as well as more diverse flows towards it from Albania. One of these flows is composed of seasonal labour migrants generally working in the agricultural sector the focus of my analysis in this paper. In a nutshell, the aim of this paper is three-fold. First, to present a picture of seasonal migration from rural Albania to Greece through the words and perspectives of migrants and their families. Second, to discuss the impact of this migration on migrants and their families to what extent does this form of mobility perpetuate dependence on seasonal remittances, or provide a lifeline and skills to build sustainable livelihoods back home. And finally, to consider the impact on a local scale in origin areas, especially on rural landscapes and economies. Issues of mobility, border controls and Albanian-Greek relations will be explored as part of these three overarching streams.

Item Type:	Book Section
Schools and Departments:	School of Global Studies > Geography
Depositing User:	Julie Vullnetari
Date Deposited:	04 Apr 2013 08:45
Last Modified:	16 Jun 2015 10:37
URI:	http://sro.sussex.ac.uk/id/eprint/11835

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