The Way Back: Brain Drain and Prosperity in the Western Balkans

Key points

+ The Western Balkans would most likely remain an exporter of smart, educated people for years to come – within a migration dynamic that destination countries controlled.

+ Public discourse on brain drain in the Western Balkans was often oversimplified: emigration boosted knowledge transfers, remittances, and access to advanced technology, improving stability and long-term development opportunities in the region.

+ Membership of the EU would not end – and could even exacerbate – brain drain, as can be seen from developments in Bulgaria, Romania, and Croatia.

+ Western Balkans governments must break their silence on emigration and be willing to take part in a difficult debate on the issue based on reliable data.

+ The EU should try to understand the implications of emigration for Western Balkans countries, and to promote circular migration as means of maintaining their access to expertise in healthcare, education, and other sectors.

+ Members of the EU should harmonise their immigration policies on the Western Balkans, coherently signalling their plans for the immigration of highly qualified workers.

European Parliament: European Parliamentary Research Service: Briefing, September 2017: Youth challenges and opportunities in the Western Balkans http://www.europeansources.info/record/youth-challenges-and-opportunities-in-the-western-balkans/

The Globalist, 27.07.17: Migration, Brain Drain and the Western Balkans https://www.theglobalist.com/european-union-migration-brain-drain-and-the-western-balkans/

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