THE IMPACT OF VISA LIBERALIZATION FOR THE WESTERN BALKANS: THE CASE OF ALBANIA

Abstract

This article analyses the impact of the Visa Liberalization Agreements concluded byEuropean Commission with the Western Balkan Countries, on the rate of migrationflows with particular focus on the case of Albania. The article analyses, inter alia,the national data on the number of people who have left the WB countries andreturned, either voluntarily or forced; as well as the data from returning countries.The article finds that VLAs, did not end up in massive abuses of overstayers in thecountries of destination in the first years of the implementation. Overall, the numberof irregulars-including overstayers, in its totality does not exceed the pre-visaliberalization period. This is followed by a significant reduction of the smuggling ofmigrants in some of the countries and of the money that feed illegal internationalnetworks. Albanian citizens are not paying large fees for visas and for thecorruptive systems 'established' for obtaining visas. This analysis is carried out in acomparative perspective for all the Balkan countries that have concluded such agreement. The article does not analyze Kosovo due to its specific features andrelations with EC on such matters.The paper is divided into four chapters. The first one provides general informationon the pre-visa liberalization migration of WB and the process up to VLAs. Thesecond analyses the conditions and the impact of the VLAs on the migration rate, inparticular on irregular immigration, returnees and over-stayers. The third onerefers to the impact of VLA on irregular migration and on the measures undertakenthe WB countries to curb irregular immigration-abuses of the VLA. The fourth chapter provides the main conclusions.