Albania, despite its natural beauty and potential, grapples with the unenviable title of being one of Europe's most corrupt countries. Amidst this backdrop, Albanian emigrants, since the fall of communism in the 1990s, have been a significant boon to the country's economy, despite facing neglect and exploitation from successive governments.
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| Illustration of several men dressed in red and black colors holding in their hands stuffed with Euros |
Since 1992, when remittances first started flowing in, Albanian emigrants have contributed over $35 billion to the Albanian economy, according to World Bank data. Their annual contribution has accounted for over 10% of the GDP in the past decade alone, making their impact undeniable.
However, this vital contribution has been met with indifference and sometimes exploitation by Albanian authorities. Emigrants returning to Albania, often seeking to reconnect with their homeland and invest in its future, have been greeted with absurd taxes and bureaucratic hurdles, dampening their patriotic fervor.
The bitter and diabolical experiences with Albanian authorities have dissuaded many successful emigrants from investing in Albania without certain minimal conditions, such as voting rights, favorable tax incentives for being Albanian, and more. The governments' neglect and exploitation of emigrants' patriotic sentiments resemble vampires feeding on innocent blood.
Given this context, any call by the government to foster collaboration and increase investments in Albania by emigrants is welcomed, but not without conditions.
"To invest in Albania, Albanians first seek recognition of their voting rights, thus increasing their trust in how their money will be spent," said Kasem Zotkaj to local media, a representative from the diaspora.
There are several sectors where the government expects emigrants to boost the Albanian economy: agrotourism, tourism, agriculture, financial services, etc. These are areas where emigrants have already invested their money, but the government's call is particularly directed towards technology.
"The government needs to specify that fiscal benefits should not only include foreign investments, as excluding Albanians living abroad, like the TEDA initiative and similar calls, favors foreign investments," expressed Kasem Zotkaj, a diaspora representative.
The main reasons hindering emigrants' return are the lack of trust in state institutions and rampant corruption and organized crime.
"I don't think there are Albanians who turn their backs on their country. So the desire is there, but the state needs to be serious, get to work, and create the necessary foundations," Zotkaj added.
Albania ranks third globally for having the largest diaspora. Primarily residing and working in Italy, Greece, the United States, Germany, Canada, the United Kingdom, and Belgium, 1.7 million citizens contribute to both their host countries' economies and their homeland.