Authors: Dallandyshe Xhaferri, Ina Allkanjari and Ilir Karabrahimi
Some call it free movement, many paraphrase it as departure, others consider it a mass exodus. In fact, it is nothing more than a widespread emigration in these last three decades. Views of abandoned and dilapidated houses are encountered in every part of Albania, cities, which shrink and fall asleep, before dusk falls. This is an old wound that still requires healing in today's Albanian reality.
In a document from 1942, available to the General Directorate of Health, Albania consisted of 1.003.097 inhabitants. These figures belong to the first Albanian census for the years 1930-1940. The average density of Albania during the same period reached up to 40 inhabitants per square kilometer. "This density went up to 85-100 people in areas with a healthy climate, to then decrease to 85-61, 60-30 and 30-20 in mountainous areas and those with swamps".
In three decades, our country is facing the third wave of emigration. In 1989, 3.182.417 inhabitants were registered in the Albanian territory. Beginning after this period, the first wave of emigration of Albanians to Greece, Italy and other European countries was recorded. Specialists claim that at that time around 450 thousand Albanians left the country. Pluralist and democratic Albania faced another wave of emigration after the riots of March 1997 and after the war in Kosovo in 1999. The 2001 census speaks of 3.069.275 Albanians within the territory. In 12 years alone, 113.142 residents officially left Albania.
Every day we are familiar with figures that speak of the abandonment and reduction of the inhabitants within the Albanian border, mainly young people, which as a consequence have also brought about the aging of the population; data, which we hear more and more every day in television chronicles or in reports of local and foreign institutions.
Young people, but also Albanian families, have chosen to leave Albania for a future that provides more. In 2012, the data of Eurostatlist Albania with a population of about 2.9 million inhabitants and in 2022 Albania will shrink to 2.8 million. In just ten years, more than 100 Albanian citizens officially left the country. INSTAT reports a smaller figure. On January 1, 2023, Albania has 2.761.785 inhabitants. It is not only remote provinces, left in oblivion due to the wild nature and lack of infrastructure, but also villages, which lie right next to the cities. This phenomenon of Albanian society has already turned into a wound and a source of infection, still incurable.
Great Britain has attracted young Albanians and has become one of the favorite destinations for immigrants. For years, this country has been faced with flows of immigrants from our country, who choose illegal ways to cross the border. About 33.000 immigrants entered Britain illegally in the first nine months of 2022, of which 11.241 immigrants came from Albania.
The emigration of Albanians abroad has often been accompanied by concerns from the host countries. In 2022, the first attack against Albanian immigrants was also marked, which came from a powerful voice within the English government. British Home Secretary, Suella Braverman, in her speech at a regular parliamentary session, described Albanians as persons with criminal records. This designation of the Albanians by an official in the United Kingdom sparked the protest of the Albanian diaspora there, where, among other things, there were signs, which in the form of a protest showed the contribution of the Albanians to the economic and cultural life of the British government. Statement of Braverman-it aroused the reaction of Albanian politics.
The Prime Minister of Albania, Edi Rama, through a post on X, stated that the United Kingdom should stop discriminating against Albanians. According to him, British policy was trying to justify its failures through the rhetoric directed towards the Albanians.
"70% of the 140.000 Albanians who moved to the United Kingdom lived in Italy and Greece. 1.200 of them are business people. Albanians in Great Britain work hard and pay taxes. Great Britain must fight crime gangs of all nationalities and stop discriminating against Albanians to justify policy failures", - wrote Rama in X.
Other data, provided by INSTAT, speak of a higher number of emigration of Albanians across the border. From 2011 to 2022, 512,200 citizens have officially left the country.
Germany is another country, which for several years has been facing a high flow of Albanian immigrants, described in the homeland as "the brain of the nation". By means of facilitating policies, the German state has managed to return to being a destination for Albanian professionals, who practiced their profession in their homeland as doctors, nurses, experts in IT or even engineers.
According to the data provided by the German Embassy, only in the years 2020, 2021 and 2022 there are 24.689 visas issued in total for long-term stays for Albanian citizens, of which 11.844 visas were granted precisely for the categories: employment, scientist, professional qualification or for different practices.
It is noted that during these 3 years there is one trends increasing demands of Albanians towards the German state. Specifically, in 2020 there are 5.427 Albanian citizens who have received long-term visas, in 2021 there are 7.509 citizens, while in 2022 there are 11.753 citizens.
Meanwhile, the French Embassy in Tirana provides other data for Albanian Center for Quality Journalism. During the period 2019-2023, over 10.500 Albanian citizens have turned to the French state for a better life. From the data of the French representation in Albania, Albanian immigrants are listed in the first place in the category of the 10 main nationalities, who have turned to France for a better life. Albanians are followed by Romanians, Moroccans, Afghans, Algerians, etc. In 2023, although the number of Albanian immigrants in France has decreased by 36%, they are still listed in third place among the 10 nationalities that have had the most immigrants in the host country. During the year 2023, 1.439 Albanians are counted as immigrants in the French state, standing behind Algeria and Georgia, while Moroccans, Afghans, Romanians, Turks and other populations from Eastern countries are listed after Albanians.
In the last period, the diplomatic missions in Albania have played an important role in allowing the movement of Albanian citizens towards different European countries. An analysis of the data shows a significant increase in the number of visas issued to Albanian citizens, especially towards Germany and France.
During the period 2020-2022 in Albania, a total of 24.689 visas were issued to the German state, showing a trends increase in demand for movement in this country. In 2020, 5.427 long-term visas were issued, while in 2021 this number increased to 7.509 and in 2022 it reached 11.753.
This shows a gradual increase in demand for a long-term approach to Germany by Albanian citizens.
At the same time, from 2019 to 2023, a total of 10.500 visas were issued to the French state. This shows a continuation of interest in moving to France.
These data also reflect the high number of requests from Albanian citizens to emigrate.
And while the figures speak of a high level of departures, the depopulation or abandonment of the country is considered by experts as the greatest danger that threatens Albania. They list a number of different factors that have forced Albanians to take the path of emigration.
The professor of sociological sciences, Zyhdi Dervishi, calls the departure of Albanians not simply an escape from the country, but a mass deportation.
"The problems created in infrastructure, in justice, in education, in health are expelling Albanians from Albania. This is the biggest pain," says sociologist Dervishi.
While the factors of depopulation are different and related to many aspects of life, entrepreneur Gjergji Gjika connects the reasons for emigration to the local economy.
"The economic system cannot ensure that it can keep its citizens with a normal life in their country!", - says Gjika for Albanian Center for Quality Journalism.
Referring to the high number that the media reports from time to time about depopulation, figures which, if this social phenomenon is not mitigated and not curbed, according to the sociologist Gëzim Tushi, Albania will have 2050 million inhabitants in 1.5. .
"People who are unemployed are not leaving, the middle class of society is leaving, professionals are leaving, people with status in society, who have a relatively good income. This is a very big problem. If the numbers of divorce will increase, the birth rate will decrease and the society will become gray", - said Gëzim Tushi.
Other specialists point the finger of blame at education for the reasons that have fueled the country's depopulation. The expert on education issues, Majlinda Keta, says that young people leave the country for a better education.
"What we have stolen from the youth, all together, is the belief that the capable will be at the top of the pyramid and will change the country," said Keta.
For years, illegal Albanian immigrants have been the focus of chronicles and articles in the international media, specifically in the British ones, in terms of the way of crossing the border of the island state, as well as their large number.. A part of illegal immigrants have returned to their homeland. According to BBC, "only in 2022 more than 500 illegal Albanian immigrants have been returned by the British authorities to Albania".
"At the end of September 2022, almost 900 Albanians left the United Kingdom, while another 469 returned voluntarily", - write BBC.
The path of courage: Emigration from Kukësi to London
The departure of Albanians from their country to Great Britain has attracted the attention of the international media. The Guardian write a year ago that 28% of Albanians arriving in Great Britain during 2022 had managed to cross the border, using rafts as a means of travel. According to the statistics of the British state, 85% of Albanians had applied for asylum, while 12% of them have become victims of modern slavery.
At a time when young Albanians seek to leave for Great Britain, they leave behind a void in their families. The village of Palush in the municipality of Bushtrica in Kukës is also listed among the multitude of abandoned provinces. Before the 90s, this municipality had about 5.000 inhabitants, today there are less than 1.200. Young people cannot even be counted on the fingers of the hands. The vast majority of them have chosen to touch the British dream. Florian Palushi, the only 30-year-old left in the village, has tried several times to emigrate to London. Economic difficulties and lack of employment have forced him to risk his life often, just for a more promising future.
Florian Palushi, resident of the village Bushtrica, Kukës
Among the mountains with fabulous forests, with a healthy climate and clean air, Bushtrica has not escaped the attention of foreign tourists. It lacks nothing, except the necessary infrastructure and curbing the constant departure of residents. Bushtrica misses the escaped residents. This inn, built just to stop the depopulation, calls out the need for employees, as Halit and his family need to simultaneously cover the duties of waiter, cleaner, cook and assistant cook. They have been looking for new employees for five years, since they decided to develop agritourism in this province.
Although we have entered 2024, the residents say that the problems with the road infrastructure and electricity, even though, ironically, there is a hydroelectric plant of the same name in Bushtrica, which produces energy, these concerns continue to coexist with the few remaining residents in these area. The lack of support and the lack of subsidies from government structures caused other projects in the development of tourism to remain on paper, even these problems have quietly encouraged the departure of residents and as a result the depopulation of villages has forced the forced closure of educational institutions. mandatory. Among the 8 closed schools in Kukës is the one in the village of Bushtricë. For three years now, no student has received education in the 9-year old school, which has been turned into a building, which is falling apart day by day.
The number of schools, which have closed the doors of knowledge, is high and disturbing. Mirgen Kastrati, specialist at the Local Office of Pre-University Education in Kukës, says that during the last years in this region, 8 schools have been closed, mainly in rural areas, which he emphasizes were subordinate schools.
"Currently, there are 22 schools in the Kukës district, among which 18 are 9-year schools, one is a secondary school, a gymnasium Havzi Nela, and two are high schools, united.", - specialist Kastrati quotes the numbers.
On the other hand, it is not only the pre-university education schools that have closed the doors of knowledge for these residents. In Kukës, after 9 years, the branch of the University of Tirana was finally closed. The Ministry of Education did not announce new quotas for this university since 2014 and this year, after the studies started before 2014 were completed, on the first day of the academic year, not a single student sat in the auditoriums of this branch.
The closure of the branch of the University of Tirana was actually announced by the Ministry of Education and the Albanian government at the beginning of the academic year 2014-2015, not giving quotas for the next two years.
About 1.100 students of Economics, Nursing, and Foreign Languages completed the university cycle, until the order was issued by the Ministry of Education and Sports to close it.
We remind you that this university was opened in November 2007 with 73 students, while in 2011 there were 620 students in the branches: Business Administration, Nursing and English Language.
Depopulation has taken deep roots, not only in the provinces and surrounding regions, but also in Kukës. Between the years 2018-2023, according to the data provided by INSTAT, a continuous decrease of the population in this district is evident. During this period of time, every year about 1.000 residents finally left Kukësi. Specifically, in 2018, 77.394 inhabitants were registered in this district, while in 2023, the data show that there are 71.498 inhabitants. The mathematics of the official data speaks of 5.896 displaced residents.
These data rank Kukës as the second district from the bottom in terms of the share of the population at the national level, specifically with about 2,6% of the total population.
The percentages presented in the graph show the continuous decline of the population density in the 12 counties that Albania has. On January 1, 2023, there were 30 inhabitants per km² in the Kukës district. This low figure also led to a significant drop in the number of students and, as a result, the closing of schools.
But, beyond depopulation, this phenomenon has also created problems in terms of the workforce, assets and remaining businesses in this area. According to the information received from the Labor Office, Kukës, it turns out that there are 4.149 unemployed job seekers in this city, among which 3.759 are unemployed job seekers, registered in urban areas. Of the registered unemployed jobseekers, it is evident that 1.012 of them are aged 50 and over, while 615 are in the 40-45 age group. Meanwhile, there are 358 active, registered subjects at the Labor Office.
The decline in the labor force and the demand of small and large businesses for employees is reflected everywhere. Businesses, which need employees, belong to different natures: Services, agritourism, agriculture and tourism. Hate Ora is among the only artisans of this city. It follows the early carpet tradition of more than 40 years. He keeps this small business afloat with the support of his daughter and son's wife. She says that there is a lot of demand for the production of handmade carpets, but she faces difficulties in recruiting young Kuksi women, since the vast majority have left.
Hate Ora, artisan in Kukës
This is only part of the Kuksian reality, the departure of the workforce has also put small businesses in difficulty. Through the streets of the city, you come across doors or shutters of shops closed to never open again.
In fact, this is a phenomenon that has spread across the country, businesses face major challenges, including high operating costs and infrastructural deficiencies. This makes it difficult for many businesses to operate successfully. At the national level, the number of bankrupt businesses appears to be increasing during the period 2013-2022. According to the data of the General Directorate of Taxes, it turns out that during this period 145 thousand businesses were closed in Albania. Meanwhile, over 40% of the remaining enterprises are surviving, as they have penalties and interest due to the increase in taxes and the decrease in purchasing power. Only for the year 2023, 3.100 taxpayers, who fulfilled their legal obligations, were deregistered in the National Register of Taxpayers.
Those who choose to leave the villages and the city are mainly young people. The rest of the city suffers from a lack of health, education and employment Services. The expert on immigration issues, Rifat Demalia, also a representative of Center for Youth Progress, says that it is impossible for a single organization to stop mass departures and work on empowering young people. He further adds that since 2018 there has been a wave of youth departures and since that period the interest to leave Kukës has been increasing. The reason for the departure is the lack of intervention by all institutions to create opportunities for young people and sustainable, long-term policies.
Meanwhile, the director of the Kukës Regional Hospital, Sulejman Sokoli, says that the hospital he runs meets the residents' demands. Due to mass departures the staff is able to cope with the low flow of patients.
"There are health centers and there are no family members, mainly this is noticed in the villages, which have been abandoned by the residents or there are very few left.", - said the orthopedic doctor, at the same time head of the Kukes hospital.
Despite the many problems, the Albanian government decided to give another opportunity to the development of the region, by building the airport Zayed – Northern Flats. Kukes Airport was promoted as an important unit that would have a positive impact on the economy of this region. Over time, it became clear that the airport would only operate during certain seasons, until the companies finally stopped flying. Flights had intervals of interruptions, especially during the winter season, due to the difficult terrain of this region.
In the initial management plan of the airport, it was foreseen that about 1.100 people would work for all the Services that the airport offers, but today there are about 80 workers, most of them belong to the administration and maintenance units.
https://youtu.be/CEiWRAl697o?si=QFFGexWft4vl4jo2
Florian Palushi: The road from Belgium to London
It is not only the economic expert, Selami Xhepa, who emphasizes the immediate need for anti-emigration policies, but he dwells on the impact that migration and emigration has brought to the local economy. He says that internal migration has negatively affected rural areas, which have been depopulated and has brought an overload to the capital, while mass emigration outside Albania has negatively affected employment, as the need for workers is endangering the pension system as a result of the lack of contributors.
"Currently there are 1.3 contributors for 1 pensioner, once there were 4 contributors for 1 pensioner.", - Xhepa refers to the decline of contributors.
For the expert Selami Xhepa, such problems are also encountered in the health system. Appealing to the state for immediate intervention, he says that farmers and farmers have also been left out of attention.
Tirana is gathering the local population
So far, we have brought evidence and data only for Kukës, as the county with the highest number of depopulation. Now we return to the capital of the Albanians. Tirana, the capital over a hundred years old, has managed to gather within itself the highest number of local population. Perhaps this is due to greater employment opportunities, but, according to experts, the high cost of living is driving away not only young people, but also specialists and the educated. Unlike other cities, which suffer from depopulation, Tirana has not suffered a population decline, on the contrary, it has increased the number to 925.268 inhabitants, thus taking more than 2/3 of the Albanian population.
Although Tirana has gathered the highest number of the population, the demand for employees is still high. Dozens of businesses are looking to replace departing employees every day.
According to the employment expert, Emin Shini, the problems of the labor market in Albania are numerous, even though the level of unemployment remains high. He points out that there is an unexplained factor, as the demand for labor is very high. The departure of Albanians is already a phenomenon known to all. The main factor of this departure, according to Shin, is the leadership in Albania, not only from business actors, but also in society.
"Young people today think about how to improve their living, many companies do not understand this demand, so there is this paradox, that there is a lot of demand for employment, but unemployment is also high", - said the employment specialist, Emin Shini.
While Albania has occasionally taken initiatives to curb the departure of the workforce, these efforts have not been successful. Likewise, their replacement with immigrants from Middle Eastern countries has not produced the expected results. According to the economy expert, Alban Zusi, the Albanian market does not need foreign immigrants, who use Albania as a springboard to move to European countries. Our country needs skilled, human resources who know how to build, create relationships, do scientific research and represent us decently.
"We lack ordinary employees, electricians, waiters. Although we had one tree tourism, we did not have an increase in consumption. We had a drop in imports at a level with exports. We have an economic contraction", - underlines the entrepreneur Zusi.
While the entrepreneur Gjergji Gjika connects emigration more with the problems of the economic system than with insufficient wages. He points to hundreds of villages, where the lands have remained barren and unused.
"There are no people to work the land, to plant tomatoes, peppers, potatoes. This is a painful phenomenon. Not just one sector is leaving, a small Albania is leaving".
The number of businesses suffering from labor shortages is high. Arturi, a young Albanian who has returned from Greece, has been keeping his business alive in Tirana for ten years in the field of car repair. He says that he has faced difficulties since the first month, but his dream and desire to stay close to his family have encouraged him to return to his homeland.
"I have been looking to hire an economist for the business I own for more than four months. In addition, there is also a lack of personnel in the mechanical sector. A lot of guys that I have hired, after they have been trained, have left. Most of them immigrated to Germany. They have started work in service centers outside Albania", says the young man from Tirana.
Education is an important sector, expected to supply businesses with human resources.
According to the research of the expert Majlinda Keta, 4% of the population leaves the country to pursue a better education. She emphasizes that Albanian students have lost faith and no longer hope that the country will improve one day.
Isa Halilaj, vice president of the Independent Education Union in Albania, points out that the budget in the pre-university system is insufficient. He points out that Albania is ranked by the World Bank among countries that spend more than their income on children's education. This, according to him, is also expressed in the high number of graduates who choose to study in Europe.
"Only 3.5% of the GPT of the state budget is very little and brings insufficient salaries for teachers and they turn to other professions, but also the quality and the way education is received have become drivers of migration. There are more than 3.000 students who have chosen European countries."
While education remains a key and important link for a developed society, in Albania the consequences of emigration are coming to the surface more and more. At a distance not far from the center of Tirana, about 20 km or 20 minutes by car, there is the village of Mumajes, part of the Baldushk Administrative Unit. The images of abandoned houses seem like they were taken from the scenes of a scary movie or from the chronicles of countries affected by war, but the reality is the opposite, these houses have been left in oblivion, because they were abandoned by those who built them. Today, no one lives there.
https://youtu.be/7g1CIjc9j9g?si=mH6H-Ogr9X6-R9t3
Elez Allmuça, resident of Mumajes village, Tirana
Sokol Allmuça, a young man who was born and grew up in the village of Mumajes, confesses that even those 50 residents, who were there until five years ago, eventually left. Recalling the time of his childhood, when he joined his friends to form a football team, he nostalgically mentions the names of his friends who have emigrated to Italy, France, Germany and England.
"I had 200 sheep, I also wanted to emigrate, but I couldn't. I regret it, but there is no one left here. There is no electricity, no drinking water. Let's not talk about other, vital conditions anymore," says the young man from Baldushku.
Although now this village, which lies on a beautiful hill, is cut off from activity and life, it still managed to preserve the traditions of the area until the end of the 90s, when modernization first replaced the old customs. For 83-year-old Elez Allmuça, every day marks another decline in the housing of the village, where he and the generation of his family have grown up and cultivated their lives.
"In Mumajes there were families and tribes with traditions, there were children, nurseries and shops. It was very good, until the first departures began in the early 90s and then in the 2000s. Today, I am the only one left," says the old man.
For sociologist Zyhdi Dervishi, the consequences of mass emigration have transformed relationships within families and produced a less healthy and unstable society.
"Children who grow up with the absence of a mother figure, a father figure, are children who grow up with contradictions, they are more stressed, they do not progress, the effect follows a chain; they do not go to universities, but parents with immigrant children also suffer the consequences. They spend their remaining years alone or in asylums. They suffer more than they live."
Although Rruga and Arbrit has been a project discussed for years and was seen as a hope for hundreds and thousands of inhabitants of many villages in the past, the depopulation of these areas could not be stopped even with the construction of this great road. For example, in the multitude of Zall Dajt and Zall Bastar villages lies Guri i Bardhë. Although the village of the writer of old Albanian literature, Pjetër Budi, is located near Tirana, it now belongs to the Klos Administrative Unit. The house museum, built around the 1500s and passed down from generation to generation by the writer Budi, is just one of many abandoned properties. The few residents who remain say that the village is inhabited mainly by the elderly, while the children have left to find better conditions in education, employment and health.
"Since democracy came, I have always been involved in agriculture and animal husbandry. I had 70 sheep, today I only have 7. The children left, because we have no conditions, there are no roads, the secondary school was closed. We have not had any kind of support from the government or the state, we have done everything with our own strength," says Kadri Çollaku, a resident of the village of Gur i Bardhë.
Resul Baleta, head of the village of Gur i Bardhë, emphasizes that the depopulation happened as a result of the lack of attention of the governments in the past. He remembers the time when the village had a school, a gymnasium with 40 students, grocery stores, a bakery, warehouses, a canteen and all the other Services that make a village livable.
"There are no more children in my neighborhood, there are only two families left, two elderly couples.
In the village school, there are a total of 12 students, who teach in collective classes. When we have any health concerns, we travel to Klos, as there is no doctor at the Health Center", says Resul Baleta.
This village, which faces the challenges of depopulation, has tried to keep the last residents by force. Avni Hysa is one of those who returned from emigration at the beginning of 2022. He decided to invest the savings earned in emigration in his native village, opening an agro-tourism business. However, the lack of road infrastructure and difficulties in recruiting employees make working at his hostel difficult.
"We are not the only ones with this problem, other villages also have these difficulties. The employees do not come from Tirana. It remains to bring the workers from Thailand", - says the entrepreneur of the guesthouse.
Sociologist Gëzim Tushi sees the abandonment of these villages and workplaces as a great concern for Albanian society. In facing this reality, he believes that it is necessary to undertake considered policies and strategies to cope with these changes and to find ways to support the affected communities.
"We are forced to import the labor market from abroad. There have been initiatives that have imported workers from the Middle East to meet the needs of the labor market, but they too will leave one day," says sociologist Tushi.
Korça, between depopulation and social changes
The panorama of migration, emigration and depopulation has significantly affected many villages and other cities in Albania. The situation is similar in Korça district. Businesses suffer from labor shortages, schools close one after the other due to lack of children, while houses remain abandoned, with crumbling roofs. However, what stands out the most is the presence of the elderly among the walls of solitude.
Five kilometers from the city lies Drenova e Asdren, known for its mulberry brandy, for its mild climate and fertile soils. At the entrance of the village stands the stoic monument of the prominent Albanian poet and author of the verses of the Flag Anthem, Aleksandër Stavre Drenova. This beautiful village in the shadow of the Morava mountain seems to experience the departure of residents every day, some in migration and others in emigration. Even here, the few remaining residents are the elderly, facing the challenges of loneliness and lack of youth.
Vangjel Nasi, the elder of the village of Drenovë, confesses that the depopulation process in this country was first promoted around the 90s, then intensified around the 2000s, and then the last wave was of devastating proportions. He estimates that the village lacks Drenovars and most importantly, children, who are a symbol of hope and youth for the community.
"Drenova school had 800-900 students, 6 of them remain. Almost all the houses here are closed," said the elder of Drenova.
https://youtu.be/ywilosOh1CI?si=Vkv-NnhEh3U7oHK-
Rajmonda Hasimllari, teacher at the 9-year-old school "Kiço Grabocka", Drenovë
With the passage of more than 30 years, the number of residents in Drenova has decreased significantly.
At a time when this beautiful village was inhabited by about 4.000 inhabitants, today their number is no more than 120, most of whom are lonely old people. The consequences of depopulation are felt in every corner of the village: the streets are empty and abandoned, the doors are closed and the institutions are unable to provide Services due to the lack of employees.
Ten years ago, the corridors of the 9-year-old school "Kiço Grabocka" in Drenovë were full of the energy and noise of students. Today, the compulsory education building serves only six students... Rajmonda Hasimllari, a teacher for more than 32 years at this school, expresses her pain that the absence of a class filled with many students is felt more than ever.
"The development of lessons with collective classes has its own difficulties, despite the low number of students. I miss classrooms full of students. I don't remember when the Flag Anthem was sung for the last time," said teacher Hasimllari.
Even the few children who are left in this school, practically abandoned, are looking for a more promising and safer future. This widespread reality does not exclude even the closest areas of cities.
"I came to this village as a bride and this is how I remember it, nothing has changed. My son is looking for friends to play with, but there are only old people left here. Our children are growing up in the absence of cultural life and other activities. I don't believe that this situation will change one day, as people have left Drenova," says Miral Nule, a resident of the village of Drenova.
A little further on lies the village of Boboshtice, known for its early tradition of hospitality. Today, however, all that remains is a landscape of denial: empty streets, destroyed houses and schools without students. Antolina Çaprazi, a former teacher in this area, remembers with sadness the times when this village was full of children's noise and joy.
"The village lacked nothing, there are only us, the old people, and here and there there is a child. The school was closed, most of the young people left, because they had no job opportunities here. The last wedding, which took place here, is not remembered," said the elderly woman.
Unlike the villages around Korça, the town seems not to experience the problems of depopulation. However, official data shows the opposite. Until 2023, Korça officially had 192.925 inhabitants. In a period of five years, more precisely until 2023, 17.253 inhabitants left the city. In the face of these constant movements, Korça continues to remain a favorite tourist destination for locals and those who visit Albania. In particular, many surrounding villages offer attractive tourism in both seasons, winter and summer.
Korça stands out as one of the cities with developed tourism and agriculture in Albania. However, although a successful city in these areas, Korça experienced a high increase in the closure of small business units from 2014 to 2021, compared to other cities in the country.
The data from INSTAT show that in the whole country in 2021, 106.681 businesses with 1-4 employees were active, marking a decrease of 1.4% compared to 2014. In the period of 7 years, the district of Korça experienced the highest number of high of closing businesses. Accordingly, small businesses in this county were reduced by 21%. These data show that the decrease in the number of small businesses in the tourist districts is the result of the decrease in the population in these areas.
At a time when the number of businesses declines, unemployment appears as an unintended consequence. Various projects, promoted by the Municipality of Korça, aim to promote the cultural development of the city. However, even though there is an increase in economic activities, the number of young people who leave continues to increase. The vice-mayor of the Municipality of Korça points out that, after the return of Korça as a tourist destination, the number of economic activities is increasing. However, unlike other cities, Korça has not recorded a decrease in population, according to official figures, but a physical abandonment of the city by the residents is seen.
"If we refer to the figures of the Municipality of Korça for the number of the population, the figures remain unchanged. We do not have a significant downward trend, but neither do we have any upward trend.
There are 87.897 inhabitants in the city alone, and the population as a municipality is about 200 thousand inhabitants", - says the vice-mayor of the Municipality of Korča, Belina Themeli, who emphasizes that, although the residents of the Municipality of Korča have left for Greece or have temporarily moved to Tirana, taxpayers appear again in this municipality.
On the other hand, experts emphasize the need for urgent policies and initiatives to curb emigration. Factors such as the economy, low wages, poor quality of education and health are the main elements that push Albanian citizens to emigrate to the countries of the European Union.
Rajmonda Hasimllari, teacher at the 9-year-old school "Kiço Grabocka", Drenovë
Proud Myrteza, although only 22 years old, is a pioneer in promoting tourism in this county. Running a small employment office, he goes to great lengths to find employees for the city's businesses. However, he claims that 2023 has been the most difficult year, as there have been more vacancies than available demand.
"The factors behind the departures are various, starting with the lack of infrastructure, housing and business rents, which have increased, but the young people here also have a pronounced lack of desire to work. It is not only Korça that offers tourism, it is also Erseka and Pogradeci, but people have left, the schools have been left without students," says the young man from Korça.
The need for employment is also confirmed by the most popular businesses of the city, entrepreneurs are constantly looking for new workers. Korça also has an active, student life, but mostly university students Fan S. Noli immigrate immediately after completing their university studies.
Artur Prifti, director of the Directorate of Curriculum and Institutional Evaluation at the university Fan S. Noli, says that the number of students has been halving.
"For the academic year 2023-2024, 910 graduates were registered in 4 faculties. Despite the monetary stimulus for "priority branches", the number of registrations in them is still low due to the low number of graduates. There are approximately 50-100 students compared to last year," said the teacher Priest.
The official figures of higher education, referred to the Institute of Statistics (INSTAT) in Albania, prove that universities are facing a continuous vacancy from year to year.
In the academic year 2022-2023, the total enrollment for higher education was 121.352 students in all study programs. Compared to 2021, this number has decreased by about 2 percent.
From year to year, universities in various cities face a deep decline in the number of students. In the academic year 2023-2024, over 3.000 students started the new year at the university Fan S. Noli of Korça, choosing between about 60 different programs. Among them, 540 students registered for the first time, a number that is about 60 students less than in the previous year. The most sought after programs included those of the Faculty of Economics, Nursing-Midwifery and Sports branches. The most difficult situation was in the branches of Philosophy-Sociology and Economics, where no students were registered this year. As a result, the Academic Senate of the University of Korça suspended the study programs in these branches.
Anxhela Ngjela, a 19-year-old student of Business Administration and Marketing, says that there are no more than 17 students in her group. She says that most of them have left for Tirana or outside Albania.
"In the first year, we were in two groups, most of the friends I had fled to Tirana, some of them even abroad. I work as a marketing specialist and I am well located in Korça.
I do not rule out the possibility that I will leave as well. I am excited by the desire, as I see on social networks, that my friends lead a better life", said the marketing student.
While the number of Albanians who leave the country and those who wish to leave is constantly increasing, we also encounter young people who choose to return to Korça, their hometown. One of them is Aleksandër Bardhoshi, who returned to his hometown when he was only 17 years old. The reason for the return was related to work, since he works for an international company and benefits from the Albanian law, which favors him, taxing him less than the Greek state. Returning to Korça for Bardhoshi is not only for employment purposes, but also to restore ties and a sense of belonging to his hometown.
"It kills me that my peers want to leave. Albania is a developing country and new opportunities are offered here," said the 23-year-old from Korça.
The population of these regions is significantly affected by depopulation, leaving behind a landscape scaled with challenges and opportunities. In all these cities, the flight of youth, migration from the countryside to the city and emigration outside the borders have caused major demographic changes. However, with the need for innovation and the improvement of social and economic policies, there is hope to improve the situation and turn these cities into attractive and sustainable centers for all their residents.
