Migration and Development: the case of Albania
February 11th
12.45 - 2.00pm
The Function Room (JS1-41)
London Metropolitan University
31 Jewry Street
London EC3N 2EY
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"Migration and Development: the case of Albania"
- Dr Juli Vullnetari, Research Fellow, Sussex Centre for Migration Research (SCMR), University of Sussex and
- Dr. Nick Mai, Senior Research Fellow, Institute for the Study of European Transformations (ISET), London Metropolitan University
Although human migration has become a multi-disciplinary field of study, a serious dichotomy remains between research on internal and international migration. However, for many individuals and households in developing countries, including in Albania, both of these migration types are used as livelihood strategies. Juli's presentation will examine some of these dynamics and links in the context of Albanian migration internally - primarily from rural areas to the capital Tirana, and internationally - to neighbouring Greece. It will further assess their impact on migrants and their families not only on their economic situation, but also on gender and generational roles and relations. The presentation draws on Juli's DPhil thesis and is based on multi-sited ethnographic fieldwork both in Albania and Greece, involving primarily in-depth interviews and participant observation, whilst the findings are framed within the wider relevant literature.
Dr Juli Vullnetari
Juli has very recently completed her DPhil in Migration Studies at the University of Sussex. Her thesis examines the dynamics between internal and international migration and how these impact on development processes on regions and countries of origin, taking Albanian migration (rural-urban and international to Greece) as a case study. She is currently working as project manager and main researcher for a UN-INSTRAW-funded research project on gender, development and remittances within the Greece-Albania remittance corridor. Juli's other research interests include the impact migration has on (often vulnerable) people 'left behind' such as older parents of migrants, as well as migrant transnational practices, migration and return of the highly skilled etc. Her career in migration studies blends with her personal experiences as a migrant, stemming from more than a decade ago when she left her small village in south-east Albania to work abroad. Her professional and personal growth has also been influenced by her advocacy work with (especially Albanian) migrant communities, including sex workers, in France, Netherlands and the UK.
Dr. Nick Mai
Senior Research Fellow in Migrations and Immigrations at ISET, the Institute for the Study of European Transformations of London Metropolitan University. Nick Mai is currently leading the research team delivering a two year-long ESRC funded project on ‘Migrants in the UK sex industry. His main current research interest is on the mobility of minor and young migrants from Albania, Morocco and Romania within the EU, their strategies of survival and the associated risks and opportunities, including issues of exploitation and the engagement in illegal activities.
