Abstract
The article examines the problem of Albanian immigration to Italy in the 1990's. The unstable situation in Albania in the 1990's and its proximity to Italy prompted large numbers of Albanians to cross the sea border and eventually reach the geographically closest region of Puglia. The article analyzes the government's actions in three areas: humanitarian support and accommodation of newcomers, legal registration, as well as cooperation with the country where the immigrants came from. Analyzing the two biggest crises in 1991 and 1997 the author tries to compare common and different features and mechanisms of interaction to solve this problem. In both cases, Italy was unable to provide adequate humanitarian support to thousands of migrants; on the other hand, the approach to legalization has changed. If during the first wave it was possible to obtain a long-term residence permit, then during the second wave the period of legal stay in Italy was limited to a few months. As of 1997, the Italian border service has changed its strategy and prevented boats with migrants from entering its own territory by all means. Also, during the second wave, the issue of resolving the crisis is brought to the international level, Italy is trying to transfer sole responsibility from itself to UN institutions. If in 1991 the Italian government tried to negotiate with the authorities of Albania, in 1997 all the problems were already submitted to the UN Security Council. In addition, public opinion and a positive attitude towards Albanians has been evolving and becoming extremely negative. The researcher concludes that the Albanian migration crisis was the first challenge for the Italian migration system, when the country had to guard its borders actively, cooperate with thousands of refugees on its territory and establish contact with the country of origin of migrants. A study of the Italian government's strategy, as well as the reaction of society and the press, is crucial for understanding the immigration system, which has been built on this experience and formed Italian policy on this subject in the future.
Highlights
Figure1: Albania and its Neighbours: Main Migration Routes From the account presented of this report, emigration from Albania can be seen as a response to a number of features in Albanian politics, demography, economy and culture
A second exodus of 20,000 Albanian ‘boat people’ in August 1991 was allowed to land in Italy but most were eventually repatriated, the Italian government taking the view that, since democratic elections had taken place at the end of March in Albania, these migrants could not be accepted as political refugees
Albania’s failure to match European demographic norms does not mean it can be placed within the same class as those developing countries which record population growth rates of 2-3 percent or more
Summary
Starting in 1990, Albania has witnessed one of the great emigrations of recent times; ten years later at least 600,000 Albanians, one in five of the population, were living abroad, mainly in Greece and Italy. Figure1: Albania and its Neighbours: Main Migration Routes From the account presented of this report, emigration from Albania can be seen as a response to a number of features in Albanian politics, demography, economy and culture.
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