Enhancing cooperation among the Prague Process states

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3 June 2019

Briefs

The diaspora already sends a considerable amount of remittances to the Western Balkan (WB) countries. The total figure of approximately seven billion EUR a year (Petreski et al, 2017) over the past 15 years has had a largely positive effect on development in the countries of origin. However, understanding of this phenomenon and policies to utilise the development potential of the diaspora are limited to remittance transfers, while investments, transfer of knowledge, tourism and other potential benefits are being largely ignored. In particular, there is a need for a better understanding of the potential of return migration, with return migrants bringing back specific skills and repatriated savings, often used to start a new business upon return. A first step towards designing appropriate policies to attract highly-skilled emigrants to return would be the collection of data about their potential and the obstacles they face.

This Policy Brief examines the return migration of highly skilled people, as well as the inadequacy of policies for mobilisation of their potential for development of their countries of origin. The gaps in institutional support to this group and administrative obstacles are discussed, as well as the important issue of data availability.

Authors

Nermin Oruc, Director, Centre for Development Evaluation and Social Science Research. Danica Santic, Assistant Professor at the University of Belgrade. This publication was produced in the framework of the ‘Prague Process: Dialogue, Analyses and Training in Action’ initiative, a component of the Mobility Partnership Facility II project, with the assistance of the European Union. The contents of this publication are the sole responsibility of the author and the 'Prague Process: Dialogue, Analyses and Training in Action’ initiative, and can in no way represent the views of the European Union.