Transformation of the Balkan Routes: the role of Albania during and after the global Covid-19 pandemic

Over the last decade, the importance of the so­called Western Balkan route as a way of irregular access to the European Union has increased significantly, and in this context the importance of Albania as a transit country has increased, as well as settlement to a lesser extent. In this article, after tracing the recent history of the Balkan route, we will describe the main dynamics that lead many migrants to use this path for as an alternative route passing through Albania, rather than other countries of hypothetical sojourn. One of the purposes of this study is to demonstrate how aside from the peak situations in the number of transits in 2015 or the decrease in 2018-2019, there is a more general trend towards a growing number of migrants using this route. With regard to this situation, in particular, the role of Albanian society and institutions and the consequences are analyzed. Although, apparently, Albania is only marginally affected by the Western Balkans route, our aim will be to show that it has already produced sig- nificant and lasting effects, in conjunction with those produced by the two­year health emergency caused by the COVID-19 pandemic The prospects of access to the European Union, international instability and the possibility of new fac- tors pushing migration linked to climate change or new zoonotic diseases point to the need for a change in perspective by Albanian and European authorities on the issue of flow management of migrants passing through Albania.

Shkelzen Hasanaj, La trasformazione delle rotte balcaniche: il ruolo delle istituzioni albanesi durante e dopo la pandemia globale Covid-19 in "SOCIOLOGIA E RICERCA SOCIALE " 130/2023, pp 108-123, DOI: 10.3280/SR2023-130006