Is the new cycle of immigration reaching its peak?! Emigrant flows are slowing down

2025-06-11 07:42:00, Ekonomi CNA

Is the new cycle of immigration reaching its peak?! Emigrant flows are slowing

The money that emigrants bring to their families in Albania is showing a slowing trend in the first months of this year, indirectly reflecting that the new wave of emigration is reaching its peak.

Bank of Albania balance of payments data showed that remittances amounted to 251 million euros in January-March 2025, an increase of 3.7% compared to the same period a year earlier. This is the lowest growth rate since 2020. In the first quarter of 2024, the money that migrants bring home had increased by 13% and a year earlier by 16%.

Since 2013, the money that emigrants bring to Albania has increased continuously (see chart), reflecting a new cycle of emigration, which began mainly after 2015.

Other Eurostat data show that the pace of emigration of Albanian citizens to European Union countries has accelerated in recent years and this is reflected in the high number of residence permits issued by EU countries. In 2023, around 75 thousand residence permits were issued to Albanian citizens by EU countries. A year earlier, 79.2 thousand residence permits were issued for the first time.

These are the highest levels since 2010, indicating an acceleration in the pace of immigration after the pandemic. In 2022-2023, a total of 154 thousand residence permits were granted for the first time. Given that a large part of those who fled are on work contracts, especially in countries like Germany, the granting of permits is faster than in the past, when Albanian citizens entered EU countries without documents. Since 2008, when Eurostat reports data, around 920 thousand Albanian citizens have received residence permits for the first time.

This new influx of refugees has been reflected in a new cycle of migration. It is estimated that within 10-15 years, the ties with the mother country begin to fade, as migrants create a new life in the country they have emigrated to. This happened with the first wave of migration after the 1990s, which led to a decline in flows after 2008.

Market players claim that the main channels continue to remain traditional countries where there is immigration, such as Greece and Italy, but in recent years there has been growth from new destinations such as England and Germany./ Monitor.al