df029a9c-560a-4ec6-94cd-cb7384240f9720221128071104334wseas:wseasmdt@crossref.orgMDT DepositWSEAS TRANSACTIONS ON BUSINESS AND ECONOMICS2224-28991109-952610.37394/23207http://wseas.org/wseas/cms.action?id=40161420221420221910.37394/23207.2022.19https://wseas.com/journals/bae/2022.phpArmelaXhahoInstitute for Democracy and Mediation, Shenasi Dishnica, Nd. 35, H. 1, 1017 Tirana, ALBANIAElviraFetahuDepartment of Marketing, Faculty of Economy, University of Elbasan, Rruga “Ismail Zyma”, Elbasan, ALBANIAOver the last few years, the global economic crisis triggered an unexpected increase in the number of migrants returning to Albania. Regardless of the returnees’ typology, the upward trend in return migration highlights the need for measures that could tackle reintegration challenges upon return to their country of origin. In practice, reintegration support consists mainly of project-based programs which are limited and not sustainable over time. The primary goal of this study is to analyze returnees’ patterns and mechanisms of reintegration in the Albanian labor market. The study provides some evidence-based recommendations for policy stakeholders to design targeted reintegration programs and policies for returnees aiming to promote the investment of financial capital, know-how, and know who earned abroad. The findings show that returnees perceived the business environment in Albania as being unfavorable for the successful development of their business. The country’s infrastructure gaps, feeble public investment, non-transparent business procedures regarding investments and soft loans, bureaucracy, and widespread informality seem to hamper foreign entrepreneurial investment from returnees.112820221128202219011913171https://wseas.com/journals/bae/2022/d465107-1960.pdf10.37394/23207.2022.19.171https://wseas.com/journals/bae/2022/d465107-1960.pdfS.Danaj, " ‘Return Migration and Reintegration challenges’, " Hope for the Future Association, 2006. C. INSTAT, " ‘National household migration survey in Albania’, " IOM: Tirana, 2020. "Albania Report 2021.," European Commission, Directorate-General for Neighbourhood and Enlargement Negotiations., 19 October 2021. 10.1007/s12134-018-0611-zTh.G.Pereiro, " 'Clustering reasons for returning: an overview of return migration in Albania', " Journal of International Migration and Integration, Vols. 20(2), p. pp. 361–374, 2019, I.Gëdeshi and R.King, "‘New Trends in Potential Migration from Albania’,," Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung Office: , Tirana,, 2008. "‘Return Migration and Reintegration in Albania’, " Institute of Statistics and International Organization for Migration: Tirana, 2004. "‘Strengthen National and Local Systems to Support the Effective Socio-economic Integration of Returnees in the Western Balkans’, " UNDP, 2020. IOM, "‘Reintegration: Effective approaches. International Organization for Migration, Geneva, 2015. L. Labrianidis and A.Lyberaki, "‘Albanian Immigrants in Thessaloniki’, " Paratiritis, Thessaloniki. M. Baldwin-Edwards, " ‘Albanian emigration and the Greek labor market: economic symbiosis and social ambiguity’, South-East Europe Review, 1(1), pp. pp. 51-66, 2004. 10.1080/14683850903314907R.King and J.Vullnetari, "‘Remittances, return diaspora: framing the debate in the context of Albania and Kosova’, " Journal of Southeast European and the Black Sea Studies, Vols. Vol. 9, No. 4, pp. pp. 385-406, 2009, 10.1016/s0304-3878(01)00193-6C. Dustmann, "‘The optimal migration duration and the activity choice after remigration, Journal of Development Economics Vols. 67, no. 2, , pp. 351-72, 2002, . N. Ilahi, "Return migration and occupational change," Review of Development Economics, vol. 3, no. 2, p. 170–86, 1999. 10.1111/1467-9485.00192B.McCormick and J. Wahba, "‘Overseas work experience, savings and entrepreneurship among return migrants to LDCs’, " Scottish Journal of Political Economy 48, no. 2, p. 164–78, 2001. 10.1093/oep/gpf042A.Mesnard, "‘Temporary migration and capital market imperfections, " Oxford Economic Papers 56, no. 2, 2004, pp. 242-62. E. Caro, “I Am an Emigrant in my Own Country”: A Profile of Albanian Returnees from Greece.”," Journal of Science and Higher Education Research 1 (1): 9–25. , 2016. 10.1080/03906701.2014.954332E. Gemi, "Transnational practices of Albanian families during the Greek crisis: unemployment, de-regularization, and return.," International Review of Sociology, 24 (3), 406-421., 2014. K.Kerpaci and M.Kuka, " ‘Identity in the Narratives of Albanian Return Migrants from Greece’, " Journal of Educational and Social Research, 2 (6), 2019. "‘Albanian Returned Migrants: A Child Focused Overview of Data Management, " Observatori and UNICEF, Tirana, 2016. T. C. G. D. B. a. Z. A. Kilic, "Investing Back Home: Return Migration and Business," 2009. K. Barjaba, " “Contemporary patterns in Albanian emigration”, " South-EastEurope Review, 3(2): 57-64, 2000. T. &. G. E. Maroukis, "Circular Migration between Albania and Greece.," MetoikosProject European University Institute: Florence., 2010. B. Nicholson, "From migrant to microentrepreneur: do-it-yourself development in Albania, " South-East Europe Review, 4(3): 39-42. , 2001. G. C. G. D. B. a. Z. A. T Kilic, "Investing Back Home: Return Migration and Business," 2009. 10.26417/ejms-2019.v4i2-535A. Ndreka, "Return Migrants’ Impact in Economic Development of the Origin Country," European Journal of Multidisciplinary Studies, p. 10, May-August 2019. I.Gëdeshi and R.King, "‘Research Study into Brain Gain: Reversing Brain Drain with the AlbanianScientific Diaspora’, UNDP, Tirana, 2018. 10.1177/0022022112466699I. L. J. A.T. Mähönen, " ‘Acculturation expectations and experiences as predictors of ethnic migrants’ psychological well-being," Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology, 44(5), 2012, pp. 786-806.