In 2020, 37,592 Albanian citizens were granted a first residence permit in a European Union member state, according to statistics published by EUROSTAT.
This is in addition to the more than 345,510 that applied for the US Green Card Lottery in 2020 and up to 10,000 asylum requests in the same year.
In terms of residence, Italy was the number one choice with 13,059, Germany with 8,308, Greece with 7,768, France with 1,875 and Croatia with 1,695.
On a recent trip to Croatia, Exit spoke with two Albanian immigrants. They said they moved to Croatia for work as the salaries are around €200 higher than in Albania, and there are more jobs. Most of the money they earn is sent back to family in Tirana, they said.
The number of people leaving and wanting to leave Albania is a growing concern. The birth rate remains low and is combined with an aging population. At least 60% of the population wants to go, with some estimates as high as 83%.
While some leave for unskilled jobs, many educated Albanians, including doctors, nurses, architects, and those interested in legal, political, and academic careers, are also leaving.
Reasons for departure include lack of opportunities, low salaries, poor standard of living, and corruption.
