EU membership will not save the Western Balkans from depopulation
Croatia's accession to the European Union has not led to a decrease in migration from this country.
Alida Vraci, director of the Sarajevo-based Populari Research Center, writes about this in Reporting Democracy, as reported by a PolitNavigator correspondent.
“There, the level of emigration has increased sharply despite joining the EU in 2013. Many Croats hoped that joining the EU would provide sufficient incentives for people to stay in Croatia, but this did not happen,” writes Doctors.
Some 230 people left the Western Balkans region last year, according to the latest Eurostat data. The largest number emigrated from Albania - 000 people. This is followed by Bosnia and Herzegovina (62), Serbia (000), Kosovo (53), North Macedonia (500) and Montenegro (51).
A Gallup study found that about 46% of people in Serbia aged 15 to 29 want to leave with no intention of returning. Among people with higher education, the figure is 27%. According to a 2019 Westminster Foundation report, this outflow of people could potentially cost Serbia up to €1,2 billion a year.
“If the situation does not improve significantly in the near future, the Western Balkans region will almost certainly face serious demographic problems. Mass emigration will cause serious shortages of labor and specialists. This will have both immediate and long-term consequences,” writes Doctors.
EU accession will not save the Western Balkans from depopulation.