Investor Presentaiton
Opportunities to Foreign Investment in Kosovo
5. CHAPTER FIVE - Role of Diaspora on Kosovo's development
In this chapter will be discussed about the contribution of Diaspora of Kosovo on
development of the country and remittances.
The issue of Diaspora is regulated by Law on Diaspora of Kosovo No. 03/L-171.
The purpose of this Law is to have influence on preservation and cultivation of language,
culture and education identity of the Diaspora members and to define their relations with
institutions of Republic of Kosovo.
The role of Kosovar Diaspora on the Kosovo's development is very important and
undeniable. Migration for Kosovars has been a tradition for many decades, and Kosovo is
among the countries with greatest migration in Europe. In the 1990s, outmigration
accelerated because of the hardships of the war, and culminated in 1999 when hundreds of
thousands Kosovars had to leave. However, the resolution of the conflict a decade ago does
not seem to have provided incentives for the migrants to return (apart from those that were
sent back by host countries providing temporary refuge). Migration has provided a safety
valve for large part of the population, providing a source of livelihood in an environment of
very high unemployment and poverty rates. The key motivation of migration from Kosovo
is employment. At the end of the 1990s, war was a major cause of migration, but now it
has been supplanted by unemployment. A common, yet disputed, estimate is that 800,000
members of Kosovo Albanian Diaspora live abroad.
The role of migration in building up capacity and skills should not be underestimated.
Furthermore, migration can in itself be motivated by the desire to acquire skills and
education abroad. If these migrants return, Kosovo could experience a brain gain.
Other countries' experiences suggest that improvements in the business environment
have provided a basis for migrants or remittance-receiving families to invest. Migrants
and Diaspora can contribute to economic development in countries of origin in many
ways other than by sending remittances alone. These contributions are less tangible than
remittances, but not necessarily less relevant. For instance, they might contribute to
economic growth through setting up enterprises themselves or helping families and
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