Albania: a place to happily grow old in? International retirement migration, and changing landscapes of ageing and care in later life
Since the end of communism, Albania has undergone major political, economic, social, and environmental changes. Large-scale emigration has been accompanied by population decline and rapid ageing, particularly in rural areas. Older people are left on their own when all their adult children have migrated, with some eventually moving to a residential care home. Meanwhile, Albania is emerging as a destination for International Retirement Migration (IRM), especially among Italians. The paper asks whether Albania is a place for a happy retirement, and for whom. It documents and analyses migration–development dynamics in Albania with a focus on older people, and related discourses around ageing, migration, and care in later-life. The discussion draws attention to three key recent developments: i) rapid population ageing linked to emigration; ii) Albania’s incorporation into the geographies of European IRM; and, iii) the growth of residential care for older Albanians in the country. Drawing on academic literature, INSTAT data, and media examples, the paper shows how global and national inequalities intersect to shape later-life migration and immobility, and points to directions for future research.
Julie Vullnetari
Julie Vullnetari is an Associate Professor of Human Geography at the University of Southampton, UK. She previously studied and researched at the University of Sussex, UK. Over the past twenty years, she has researched migration and development in Albania, including the links between internal and international migration, the gendering of remittances, the impact of migration on older people left behind, and the dynamics of migration and care. Her broader research interests include everyday life in socialist societies, feminist geopolitics, critical border studies, and, more recently, climate change and mobilities.