Return migration

in Permet, Albania

- two case
studies, two
perspectives

Research site city of Permet,

Albania

The research questions

experience of being a migrant

reintegration of the return migrants
local and the national identity
family issues
education
spiritual practices
portrayal of the future

The focus of the observation

two case studies - Nori and Vassilaq ,
two different characters and visions,
two different successful life stories
Nori has the perspective of a return
migrant
Vassilaq is an important member of
the community conducting projects
that involve the return migrants.

Methodology. Challenges
Semi-structured interview,
biographical interview and free
conversation
Major challenges the language
barrier and time shortage
We used French to interview Vassilaq,
Italian and English to interview Nori

Contextualization of topic

In Permet the return

migration is an important
phenomenon. A lot of
families, coming back from
Greece mainly because of the
economic crisis, have chosen
Permet as residence and
place to look for a job.

Data collected. Interpretation

Nori
A returned migrant,with a job that provides him
and his family a decent life (cable TV operator ),
with a well establish status in the community. A
character in the city, of a surprising ability to
tell stories, willing to express his own perspective
and judgment. He has an inborn intelligence,
analytical capacity and is brave enough to tell his
mind! You can read on his face the pleasure to
be surrounded by listeners and offers us coffee
in order to start the conversation.

Nori, his town and his

river

 Migration as a school for life

Motifs of migration we had to eat,
albanian identity connected to
mobility
Motifs for coming back Here is my
town, my family, my friends! My
river!
Perception of migration Migration
is a filthy thing: you have to endure
frustrations and humiliation
Migration trajectory as steps towards

 The question of honor (ndet) in

the context of migration
The system of the traditional law
versus the law of the establishment
Solving of conflictual situations using
the traditional/custom law
We will not protest in your way,
because we are fed up with words.
We`ll make Greece explode!
Migration as a factor of reappropriation of spiritual practices

Vassilaq Nikolla
One of the town`s personalities, director of
the Permet Regional Electrical Power
Institution, manager and owner of the
Alvero Hotel from the city center. He is
also the founder of Pro Permet NGO
through which he initiates programs with
European founding for the development of
tourism in Permet. By the means of these
projects he offers jobs to the locals and the
returned migrants. He sees the future of the
city connected to the touristic potential of
the area

Hotel Alvero in Perme

 He studied in France and returned

because of greater opportunities in
Albania (power position in Permet,
richness acquired in home town)
Identity issues also motivate his decision
Regarding return migration he focuses
on entrepreneurship (small business
possibilities)
The biggest problem in opening a small
business by the return migrants is
blocking of the money by the Greek
Banks a very frustrating situation

 This way the crisis in Greece becomes crisis

in Albania
Comments upon the changing of status of
the returned migrants - financial difficulties
Inner traits of Albanian identity help them
overcome the problem
The Albanian knows how to integrate
rapidly and adjust to the new living conditions,
to spend lesswe were always in crisis
The children of the returned migrants don`t
know how to write Albanian measures
taken:after-school courses, private lessons

 Migration cannot destroy the family unity

For the Albanians the unity of the family is
above everything, the family is holly
The first frame of learning and asserting their
identity is the family, then the community and
then the nation. The values of a real Albanian
are honor, family, education, work
High quality education is two sided on one
hand it brings emancipation for the young, on
the other they choose not to return to Permet
He concludes there is hope for a better
future here in Permet for the returned
migrants

Concluding remarks. Status in/consistency

The impulse of migrating is the difference
of status between homeland and the host
country. The migrant acquires a higher
status, socially and economically
speaking in the host country. When this
status is under threat by the crisis in this
case, they return in their homeland,
where they will have a higher status
compared to the non-migrants.
(concepts introduced by G. Lenski in 1954 and developed by
M. Hartman in the American Journal of Sociology, 1974)

 In Nori`s case, the reason for returning is the

unsatisfactory social status in the host country
(status inconsistency). He knew before returning
that the new status in his homeland will be
satisfactory
Nori acquired knowledge, skills, and money that
will bring him social recognition and prestige
(status consistency), while Vassilaq acquired all
these in his homeland, not needing to migrate
status consistency case
The identity values are similar for both, they
express proudness to be Albanians, from Permet
They are both optimistic and have successful life
stories

Migration song sang by Nori

My son went in migration
My son, where are you?
If youll come back one day
You`ll find I got very old
You got married
Your wife is in my house
You left here a son
I don`t know what to say
God will be the judge of everything
But my son, when will you return?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qjvY9PsKIWc