Abstract:

According to the UN Convention on Migrants, an international migrant is an individual who lives temporarily or permanently in a country of which she (he) is not national. The flow of migrants into a given destination is positively correlated to the level of diversity of areas and people. Negative economic and social conditions in origin countries lead to the increase of migration flows; as a result, we find a higher number of migrants in richer countries and a relevant level of mobility in poor countries. We estimate in this paper a gravity model, including independent variables that are related to some typical problems for the Balkans, such as poverty, unemployment and corruption. The models have been considered for a sample that includes Balkan migration stocks in some important European destinations for the time period 2012-2021. According to the residuals statistical tests, the estimated model fits well the data. Authorities should orient their policies and reforms toward the minimization of corruption and of the culture of impunity, and the mitigation of poverty and inequality.

Keywords:

Western Balkan countries, migration, poverty, gravity theory.

How to Cite:

Emi Malaj. Social and Economic Factors of Emigration: Evidence from the Western Balkans. [ref]: vol.21.2023. available at: https://refpress.org/ref-vol21-a284/