Migration

Migration as a phenomenon has always accompanied mankind and shaped cities since time immemorial. Migration has also been very influential in Kosovo’s recent history, with various reasons leading to a temporary or long-term relocation of the centre of life.

The migration of Kosovo Albanians into the European labour market from the 1960s onwards and the subsequent migration of family members and friends formed the first basis of social networks in the hostlands.

Beginning in the 1990s, a change took place in Kosovo’s migration. The repression of the Albanian-speaking population in Kosovo, which escalated into a war at the end of 1999, led to enormous numbers of refugees. Migration behaviour showed that the social networks of migrant workers, which had already developed since the 1960s, became the decisive criterion for choosing the destination country for war-related migration.