Patterns of Migration in the Balkans. MMO Working Paper No. 9, Jan. 2006

The Balkans constitute one of the most remarkable regions of the world for the complexity and extent of its recent refugee and migration movements. In principle, all Balkan countries are seen as future members of the European Union: one has recently acceded, two are envisaged to join in 2007, and two more are now candidates. Four migration types are examined in some detail: forced migration and returns, ethnic migration, trafficking and temporary or circular migration. Recent trends show that both forced and ethnic migrations have largely ceased, trafficking has apparently declined, and the pressing issues concern refugee returns and economic migrations. In particular, the Balkan countries’ relations with the Schengen system are seen as determinative of migration type: the regime has facilitated the circular migrations of Romanians and Bulgarians, pushed Albanians into definitive migration to Greece and Italy, and excluded other Balkan nationals from legal migration other than through asylum-seeking. A reform of the European approach is advocated, in order to provide a more functional linkage with the increasingly stable Balkan region