Albanian diaspora

Distribution of ethnic-Albanians in Europe

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v t e

The Albanian diaspora encompasses Albanians outside of Albania and Kosovo. The greatest concentrations are found in Turkey, Macedonia, Montenegro, Greece and Italy. There are also smaller communities in Austria, Canada, France, Romania, Belgium, Russia, Scandinavia, Switzerland, Ukraine, UK, and the USA

The Albanian exodus, caused by the collapse of the communist regime in 1991 and the ensuing economic crisis, has been the largest emigration movement in Europe since the population movements after World War II. Between 1989 and 2001, roughly 800,000 people have migrated out of Albania, about 440,000 of them settling in Greece, where Albanians make up 60% of immigrants.^[1] 350,000 Albanians have migrated to Italy over the 1990s to 2000s.^[2] The situation in Kosovo is similar. More than a million Albanians have left Kosovo since the late 1980s permanently, not counting those fleeing the Kosovo War who have subsequently returned.^[3] An important destination for emigrating Kosovar Albanians has been Switzerland and Germany.^[4]

In Albania, emigration dates back to the 15th century when many Albanians emigrated to Calabria in Southern Italy after the defeat of Skanderbeg by Ottoman forces. Other popular destinations were Turkey, Bulgaria, and later the United States and South America. Following the communist take over after World War II, emigration was outlawed and violations severely punished. Two major emigration waves in the 1990s were:

• Post-1990 wave prior to the collapse of communism in Albania in the form of break-ins at foreign embassies and departures by ship
• Post-1997 wave following the 1997 unrest in Albania mainly by sea

The preference for Italy, Greece and Western European countries during the first waves of emigration has given way to Canada and the United States due to stricter European immigration laws. The rate of emigration has decreased during the later 2000s.

In Albania, it is estimated that emigrant remittances account for 18% of GDP or $530 million annually.^[5] Those who have come back have opened micro-enterprises, while the proximity of Greece and Italy to Albania where more than half of immigrants are located has contributed to continuous labor mobility.^[6] Recently, following the 2010-2011 Greek Crisis, many Albanian emigrants have returned either temporarily or permanently to Albania.^[7]

The mass emigration of the 1990s to early 2000s has resulted in massive brain drain to Albania. In the period 1990-2003, an estimated 45% of Albania's academics emigrated, as did more than 65% of the scholars who received PhDs in the West in the period 1980-1990.^[8] In 2006, a brain gain program compiled by Albanian authorities and the UNDP was put into action to encourage the skilled Diaspora to contribute to the country's development though its success remains to be seen.

Balkans

Bulgaria

In 1636, the Mandritsa, a typical village in Bulgaria, was found by Eastern Orthodox Albanian dairymen who supplied the Ottoman Army. They were allowed to pick a tract of land and were freed from taxes. The bulk of the local Albanians arrived in the 18th century from around Korçë and in the 19th century from the region of Souli in Epirus. The locals preserved their Souliot national dress until the 19th century, when the fustanella was substituted by Thracian breeches. However, the female dress was preserved until the mass emigration to Greece in 1913. In the 2001 census of Bulgaria, it was estimated that 278 Albanians live in the country.

Republic of Macedonia

The Albanian population in the Republic of Macedonia has grown constantly since 1948. According to the official census data (held every 10 years), Albanians made up 19% of the total population in 1953. The population fell to 13% in 1961. It grew again in 1971 to 17%. They made up 19.7% in 1981 and 21% in 1991. At the last census in 2002, the Albanian population was at 25.2%. In the decade since the Republic declared independence from Yugoslavia, some Albanians have claimed to account for 45% of the population and demanded an appropriate share of power. On the other side, Ethnic Macedonians said Albanians were barely 25%. However, the widely accepted number of Albanians in the Republic of Macedonia is according to the internationally monitored 2002 census. The census data estimated that Albanians account for about a quarter of the total population. In the 2008 Macedonian parliamentary elections, Albanian political parties received 22.61% of the total vote, receiving 29 of 120 seats.

Greece

Albanians in Greece form the country's largest population group after the ethnic Greek majority. Due to different waves of migration, they are divided into various groups. The Albanians in Epirus have been reduced through forced removals and assimilation. Many Albanians were expelled by the Greek government in various waves from Epirus. Orthodox Albanians in Epirus, have undergone forced assimilation and often now identify as Greek. Many areas of southern Greece contain ethnic Albanian communities - some dating from the Middle Ages and earlier. Most now identify as Greek due to anti-Albanian sentiment. They traditionally speak an ancient dialect of Albanian called Arvantes. There are Albanian immigrants, who have entered Greece in large numbers since the fall of the Socialist People's Republic of Albania, form the largest single expatriate group in the country today. After the fall of communism throughout Eastern Europe in the late 1980s and early 1990s, a large number of economic refugees and immigrants from Greece's neighboring countries, Albania, Bulgaria, the Republic of Macedonia, Romania, as well as from more distant countries such as Russia, Ukraine, Armenia and Georgia, arrived in Greece, mostly as illegal immigrants, to seek employment. The vast majority of the Albanians in Greece is estimated to be between 65-70% of the total number of immigrants in the country. According to the 2001 census, there are 443,550 holders of Albanian citizenship in Greece.

Italy

The Albani were an aristocratic Roman family, members of which attained the highest dignities in the Roman Catholic Church, one, Clement XI, having been Pope. They were ethnic Albanians who originally moved to Urbino from the region of Malësi e Madhe in Albania.^[9] and had been soldiers of Scanderbeg against the Ottoman Empire. Though eventually assimilated in their Italian environment, Clement XI's Albanian antecedents were evident in his having commissioned, during his reign as a Pope, the famous Illyricum Sacrum. Today it is one of the main sources of the field of Albanology, with over 5000 pages divided in several volumes written by Daniele Farlati and Dom. Coletti.

There is an Albanian community in southern Italy, known as Arbëreshë, who had settled in the country in the 15th and the 16th century, displaced by the changes brought about by the expansion of the Ottoman Empire. Some managed to escape and were offered refuge from the repression by the Kingdom of Naples and Kingdom of Sicily (both under Aragonese rule), where the Arbëreshë were given their own villages and protected. The Arbëreshë were estimated as numbering at a quarter million in the 1970s.^{[better source needed]}

After the breakdown of the communist regime in Albania in 1990, Italy had been the main immigration target for Albanians leaving their country. This was because Italy had been a symbol of the West for many Albanians during the communist period, because of its geographic proximity. Italy reacted to the migration pressure by introducing the "Martelli" law, stipulating that any immigrant who could prove that he or she had come into the country before the end of 1989 be granted a two year residency permit. From March 1997, Italy instituted a strict patrol of the Adriatic in an attempt to curb Albanian immigration. As a result, many Albanian immigrants in Italy do not have a legal status. Out of an estimated 450,000 Albanian immigrants in Italy in 1998, only some 82,000 were registered with authorities. In total there are 800,000 Albanians in Italy.^[10]

The Italian Government has housed significant numbers of Albanians from Kosovo in the Arbëresh settlements, most notably in Piana degli Albanesi in Sicily.

Turkey

Many Albanians fled to Turkey during the Ottoman Empire and after the Second World War between 1950–1970, when the islam in Yugoslavia at this time was repressed and both Albanians and Muslim Slavs were encouraged to declare themselves to be Turkish and emigrate to Turkey. Many started to colonize in the European part (Edirne, Istanbul, Tekirdag) and in Asia Minor (Bursa, Izmir, Adapazari). Later on, Turkey had a wave of 260,259 Kosovo War refugees, who found refuge in Turkey. Today it is estimated that 1,300,000 Turks are of at least partial Albanian ancestry, whereas 500,000 consider themselves Albanian.^[11]

Western Europe

Germany

There are an estimated 500,000 Albanians living in Germany. They mostly migrated to Germany from Kosovo during the 1990s.

Switzerland

There are an estimated 350,000 ethnic Albanians in Switzerland, most of them from Kosovo, a sizeable minority arriving from Macedonia.^[12] Albanians have migrated to Switzerland since 1960s,^[13] but bulk of immigration took place during the 1990s, especially during 1998-1999. They account for about 2% of total Swiss population, making them the third largest immigrant community in Switzerland, after the Italian and German ones. The Albanian language is the second largest immigrant language spoken in Switzerland, following Serbo-Croatian. About 40,000 have been naturalized as Swiss citizens during the 1990s and 2000s, while an estimated 150,000 remain registered as nationals of either Serbia and Montenegro (carrying passports issued during the existence of that country, 1992–2006), the Republic of Kosovo (34,000 Kosovar passports registered with the Swiss authority by August 2010), the Republic of Macedonia, or Albania.

Overseas

Canada

It is estimated that 22,395 Albanians live in Canada (2006 Census). The first Albanians arrived in Canada at the beginning of the 20th century, following internal pre-war revolutionary upheavals. Few immigrated to Canada after WWII. Most of the post-war Albanian immigrants settled in either Montreal or Toronto. Some found jobs in Calgary and a few in small communities in Ontario (e.g., Peterborough). After the inter-ethnic conflict in the former Yugoslavia between ethnic Albanians and Serbian military and police forces, many Albanians left Kosovo as refugees. Some have come to Canada, and in 1999 the Canadian government created a program to offer safe haven to 7000 Kosovar Albanian refugees. However, they continue to appreciate their ethnic heritage and their Albanian national history, even though their ancestors may have left Albania several decades ago. Those Albanians from Albania proper are active in their business and social organizations.

United States

Albanians began to settle in the USA in the early 1920s from Greece, Turkey, Southern Italy and Kosovo, and in the 1990s from Albania, Montenegro, the Republic of Macedonia, and refugees of war. The largest Albanian American (incl. Kosovar Albanian) populations are in New York City, Boston, Detroit, and Chicago. Another Albanian American community in Southern California such as the Los Angeles area. The Inland Empire (Riverside/San Bernardino) area of California includes Kosovars who entered the United States at the March Joint Air Reserve Base in Riverside. The Albanian-American population is currently 113,661, 0.04% of the US population.

Table of diaspora populations

Country	Albanian population	Year	Source(s)
Albania	3,244,933	(2011)	[14]
Kosovo	1,825,632	(2011)	[15]
Turkey	500,000-1,300,000	(2007)	[16]
Macedonia	409.083	(2002)	[17]
Montenegro	50,600	(2007)	[18]
Greece	889,663	2001	[19]
Italy	800,000		[citation needed]
USA	513,661	(2001)	[20]
Serbia	61,647	(2002)	[21]
Canada	22,395	(2006)	[22]
Sweden	55,000		[citation needed]
United Kingdom	122,314	(2001)	[19]
France	100,000		[citation needed]
Switzerland	294,937	(2000)	[23]
Germany	550,000 - 800,000		[citation needed]
Netherlands	55,706		[citation needed]
Belgium	90,352		[citation needed]
Slovenia	46,186	(2002)	[24]
Croatia	24,621	(2001)	[24]
Romania	15,000		[citation needed]
Norway	37,000		[citation needed]
Austria	28,212	(2001)	[23][25]
South Africa	2,000		[citation needed]
Egypt	23,000		[citation needed]
Bosnia and Herzegovina	25,000		[citation needed]
Denmark	38,000		[citation needed]
Ukraine	13,308	(2001)	[24]
Finland	23,293	(2000)	[23]
Spain	25,427		[26]
Russia	53,220		[citation needed]
Czech Republic	10,221		[27]
Slovakia	5,851	(2001)	[28][29][30]
Australia	21,315		[31]
Kazakhstan	46	(1999)	[24]
Moldova	1,204	(1989)	[24]
New Zealand	15,531	(2001)	[23]
Cyprus	997	(2001)	[28]
Philippines	1,495	(2000)	[28]
Ireland	1,301	(2002)	[28]
Luxembourg	4,976	(2001)	[28]
Poland	3,037	(2006)	[28]
Bulgaria	10,278	(2001)	[32]
Mexico	50,000	(2000)
Bolivia	5	(2002)	[28]
Argentina	50,000	(1997)	[28]
Singapore	9,500	(2009)	[citation needed]
Japan	120	(2010)
Israel	96	(2009)

Notable Albanians from the Diaspora

• Sedefkar Mehmed Agha- Albanian architect of the Sultan Ahmed Mosque (the "Blue Mosque") in Istanbul.

• Mustafa Kemal Ataturk- Ottoman and Turkish with Albanian descent army officer, revolutionary statesman, writer, and the first President of Turkey. He is credited with being the founder of the modern Turkish state.

• Fatmire Bajramaj- Famous Woman Albanian Football player. She has announced to move to 1. FFC Frankfurt for the 2011–12 season. The transfer is the most expensive in women's Bundesliga history

• Giorgio Basta- Italian general of Arbëreshë descent, employed by the Holy Roman Emperor Rudolf II to command Habsburg forces in the Long War of 1591-1606 and later to administer Transylvania as an Imperial vassal to restore Catholicism as a predominant religion in Transylvania.

• James Belushi- Albanian-American famous Hollywood actor

• John Belushi- Albanian-American famous Hollywood actor

• (Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu)Mother Teresa - was a Catholic nun of Albanian ethnicity and Indian citizenship, who founded the Missionaries of Charity in Calcutta.

• Lorik Cana- Famous Albanian Football player

• Francesco Crispi- Italian politician of Albanian Arberesh ancestry. He was instrumental in the formation of the united country and was its 17th and 20th Prime Minister from 1887 until 1891 and again from 1893 until 1896.

• Joe DioGuardi- Albanian-American certified public accountant and a Republican politician.

• Tie Domi- Canadian professional ice hockey player of Albanian heritage. During a sixteen-year NHL career when he was known for his role as an enforcer, he played for the Toronto Maple Leafs, New York Rangers and Winnipeg Jets.

• Eliza Dushku- American-Albanian actress known for her television roles.

• Lee Elia- Albanian-American former professional baseball player and manager in Major League Baseball.

• Farouk I of Egypt- (11 February 1920 – 18 March 1965), Tenth ruler (Muhammad Ali Dynasty) and penultimate King of Egypt and Sudan, 1936, was of Albanian descent as well as native Egyptian and Turkish

• Mit’hat Frashëri- Albanian diplomat, writer and politician. The son of Abdyl Frashëri, one of the most important activists of the Albanian National Awakening in 1908 he participated in the Congress of Monastir

• Antonio Gramsci- Arbereshe writer, politician, political theorist, linguist and philosopher.

• William G. Gregory- First American-Albanian in space.

• Ismail Kadare- Famous Albanian writer

• Giorgio Kastriota Scanderbeg (~Iskander Bey)- as a 15th-century Albanian lord[D], who as leader of the federation of the League of Lezhë defended the region of Albania against the Ottoman Empire for more than two decades.

• Luan Krasniqi- German boxer of Kosovo Albanian descent.

• Mirela Manjani- is a retired Albanian javelin thrower that represented Greece.

• Aleksander Moisiu- Famous Albanian stage actor.

• Inva Mula- Inva Mula is an Albanian opera soprano. She comes from an artistic family. She began her soprano career at a very early age.

• Ferid Murad- Albanian-American physician and pharmacologist, and a co-winner of the 1998 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine.

• Muhammad Ali Pasha- Regarded as the founder of modern Egypt, was an Albanian commander of the Ottoman Sultan's, Mahmud II, army sent to drive Napoleon's forces out of Egypt, upon French withdrawal, became Governor of Egypt (1805), then Khedive (Viceroy) of Egypt and Sudan. He founded a dynasty.

• Regis Philbin- Albanian-American media personality, actor and singer, known for hosting talk and game shows from the 1960s to the present.

• Rexhep Qosja- prominent Albanian politician and literary critic.

• Oruç Reis- Oruç Reis (also called Barbarossa or Redbeard) was a Turkish privateer and Ottoman Bey (Governor) of Algiers and Beylerbey (Chief Governor) of the West Mediterranean with Albanian descent

• Girolamo de Rada (Arbëresh: Jeronim de Rada) (1814–1903) was an Italian writer of Italo-Albanian literature of Arbëreshë descent he was the foremost figure of the Albanian National Awakening in 19th Italy.

• Muhammad Nasiruddin al-Albani - a prominent Muslim cleric

See also

• Lamerica
• Karaburun tragedy
• Tragedy of Otranto

References

Further reading

• Vullnetari, Julie. "Albanian Migration and Development: State of the Art Review", Working Paper No. 18, Universiteit van Amsterdam: Amsterdam, 2007
• Danopoulos, Andrew C. and Constantine P. Danopoulos, "Albanian Migration into Greece: The Economic, Sociological, and Security Implications", Mediterranean Quarterly 15, no.4, (2004): 100-114
• Germenji, Etleva and Ilir Gedeshi. "Highly Skilled Migration from Albania: An Assessment of Current Trends and the Ways Ahead", University of Sussex: 2008
• Labrianidis , Lois; Brikena Kazazi. “Albanian Return-Migrants from Greece and Italy: Their Impact upon Spatial Disparities within Albania.” European Urban and Regional Studies 13, no. 1 (2006): 59–74
• King, Russell and Julie Vullnetari. "Migration and Development in Albania", Sussex Centre for Migration Research, University of Sussex, 2003
• Nicholson, Beryl. "The Tractor, the Shop, and the Filling Station: Work Migration as Self-Help Development in Albania", Europe-Asia Studies 56, no. 6 (2004): 877-890
• Piperno, Flavia. "From Albania to Italy: Formation and Basic Features of a Binational Migration System", CeSPI, 2002
• Piracha, Matloob; Florin Vadean. “Return Migration and Occupational Choice: Evidence from Albania.” World Development 38, no. 8 (2010): 1141–1155

External links

• History of Emigration from Albania (Albanian)

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