Readdressing Urbanization and Migration in Albania circa 1990: A Novel Approach

Author: Ifigeneia Kokkali, Godiva Rembeci
Affiliation: University of Thessaly, POLIS University

Abstract
Migration is part of the demographic evolution of the population and a decisive indicator of social changes, including urbanization. Migration and urbanization have a strong effect on the economy, such as changes in labor market opportunities, education, health, environment management, governance, etc. After 90’s migration movements in Albania have been considered to be the main factor in drastic changes of the stock’s size and structure of Albanian population. Compared to 1990, the current size of the resident population stock at the national level has been decreased by about 12% due to emigration, followed by a decrease in the birth rate for about 65% and an increase in the death rate for about 20%. Meanwhile, the internal migration is identified as a major factor in the demographic changes of the Albanian population at the regional level, bringing in extensive urbanization in a few areas and a drastic reduction of population in the majority of the others. Is there any correlation between the directionality of contemporary Albanian migrations and the urban development of Albania before 1990, as shaped by the policies for spatial and socioeconomic organization implemented under the communist regime? To date, the research activity dealing with urbanization in Albania after the 2000s seems to have paid limited attention to the study of the country's urban development before 1990. There seems to be a dominant perception which ‘inaudibly’ equates the fall of the regime with a rural exodus. The doctrine of the universal control of the movements of Albanian citizens, combined with other policies of spatial and economic development implemented by the regime, certainly, meant the control of the urbanization processes in socialist Albania; however, at the same time, it nourished a peculiar type of urban/territorial organization, which was not portrayed in statistics (Carrière & Sivignon 1982). The proposed presentation explores the above question/working hypothesis, which aspires to shed light on the urban/territorial development of Albania before 1990, and, under this perspective, to propose the study anew of contemporary Albanian migrations. From a methodological point of view, we are based on extensive literature review, including research conducted in the decades 1970 and 1980 in Albania.

Keywords: Albania, demographic, Population change, pre-1990 urbanization, Albanian migration